TRS Government has betrayed paddy farmers: Congress

Kamareddy: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Political Affairs Committee Convener and former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused the TRS government of betraying the lakhs of paddy farmers of Telangana.

He was addressing a meeting at Classic Function Hall on Sircilla Road in Kamareddy Town in connection with distribution of blankets among the poor on the occasion of the birthday of AICC President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. Earlier, the Congress leaders paid rich tributes to Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 others who were killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Two minute silence was observed as a mark of respect for the departed souls.

Speaking on the occasion, Shabbir Ali said that the Congress president had announced that she would not celebrate her birthday in view of the tragic helicopter crash which killed Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other military officials. As per the AICC instructions, he said no celebrations were organised in Kamareddy and the programme was confined to distribution of blankets among the poor people and launch of the party's digital membership drive.

Shabbir Ali said that Sonia Gandhi's birthday was highly significant for the people of Telangana as it was on the same day in 2009 when the formation of Telangana was first announced. He said Sonia Gandhi granted statehood for Telangana as she wanted to stop the youth and students from ending their lives. Sonia Gandhi wanted the people of Telangana to get good opportunities in employment and equal share in all other resources. However, he alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao shattered the dream of Telangana and neglected all sections of the society.

The former leader of opposition in legislative council said that the TRS MPs betrayed the paddy farmers by surrendering before the BJP government. The TRS MPs returned home on the pretext of "boycotting the winter session of Parliament '' without getting any assurance from the Centre on procurement of paddy for the Kharif season. He said lakhs of farmers are still waiting in their farm yarns and procurement centres to sell off their paddy. By delaying the procurement, TRS government, in connivance with BJP government at the Centre, is trying to force farmers to dispose off their produce at whatever prices the millers and middlemen offer to them and not insist on MSP.

Shabbir Ali said several paddy farmers lost their lives while waiting to sell off their produce.

"CM KCR has announced ex-gratia for the farmers of Punjab, Haryana and UP who died during the agitation. But he is not willing to give any compensation to the Telangana farmers who died due to the negligence of TRS Govt," he said.

The Congress leader said that CM KCR was trying to enforce regulated farming without providing any legal security to the farmers to protect their interest. He said KCR has been asking people to go for alternate crops instead of paddy. But he is neither suggesting any crop nor assuring MSP for the same, he said.

Blaming KCR government for the present farm crisis, Shabbir Ali said the deaths of farmers in the recent crisis were nothing but institutional murders. He said that the Congress party gave financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh each to the families of two paddy farmers in Kamareddy constituency who died recently.

Speaking about the digital membership drive, Shabbir Ali said that new members would be enrolled in all polling booths of Kamareddy Assembly constituency in a highly scientific manner. He said all the enrolled members would be given a life insurance cover of Rs. 2 lakh each. He appealed to the party cadre to take up the membership drive with enthusiasm and total commitment.