MP Arvind did nothing for people of Nizamabad, says Kavitha

Nizamabad: Lashing out at MP Arvind Dharmapuri for failing to establish the promised Turmeric Board in Nizamabad, TRS MLC K Kavitha said that the parliamentarian did nothing for the people of the district except telling lies during the past three years.

Kavitha said that she didn't speak on the subject for the last three years because she wanted to respect the mandate given by the people of Nizamabad and give the current MP "time" to do something regarding his promises to the farmers of the district. She also cited an RTI reply on the budget allocated with respect to turmeric-producing farmers.

"Mr Arvind, in the last three years could only get our farmers an allocation of Rs 1.92 crore for close to 1 lakh turmeric producing farmers. If you divide it between all of them, it boils down to less than Rs 250. All he did was deceive farmers by distributing a bond paper," she remarked.

Arvind had promised the farming community in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that if elected as MP, he would get the turmeric board sanctioned to the district and that he would get proper minimum support prices fixed for both turmeric and red jowar. If he failed to keep both commitments, he had said that he would resign as a member of Parliament and join the farmers' and people's movement, Kavitha reminded.

In March 2019, Arvind made the vow in writing and even signed it on a non-judicial (bond) stamp paper. In the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, his team printed copies of the promise and distributed them in turmeric-growing areas.

The MLC alleged that Arvind gambled on the self-respect of turmeric farmers. She said that Arvind was lying and did not even offer a support price to the red maize farmers.

She questioned what MP Arvind would say to the people of Nizamabad, especially the farmers, for delaying the formation of the Turmeric Board for so many days?

Kavitha alleged that Arvind had won the MP seat by making false promises. She demanded to know what Arvind had done in past three years for the people of the constituency. None of the promises made in the elections have been fulfilled so far, she said. She alleged that Arvind is just passing the time.

Kavita said the BJP was trying to create strife in Telangana in the name of caste and religion and urged the people to be vigilant. She urged the people to recognise the development taking place in the State.

She criticised the central government for setting up a Spice Board in Nizamabad district instead of Turmeric Board, which was of no use. The regional centre of the spices board was set up by the Union government on February 14, 2020, but this did not satisfy the farming community, who had stated that nothing less than a full-fledged board is acceptable to them and the rallying cry for it continued.

Kavitha said that the office of the regional spice board office has nothing but a few Nilkamal chairs and two people managing it.

"Time has come now for Mr. Arvind to deliver on his bond paper promise. He should go around on his knees in Delhi around the offices of his masters if he really has the interest to serve the people of Telangana," Kavitha remarked.