Rabi paddy row: Telangana CM holds dharna
Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi President K Chandrashekar Rao has upped the ante against the Union government and demanded that it should announce a plan to buy the paddy produced in the ensuing rabi season.
Accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues and party MLAs, the Chief Minister reached the ‘Dharna Chowk’, the designated site for holding dharnas near the Indira Park here. This is the second time that the ruling party is holding dharnas in the State. It held protest meets across the State on November 12 to press for its demand.
Also read: Telangana presents alternatives to paddy in rabi
Addressing the dharna, Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy criticised the Central government for its lopsided procurement policies. He said that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is yet to complete the last year’s rabi procurement target. “It is yet to procure about 5 lakh tonnes,” he said.
The TRS President’s decision to hold protests comes after the Union government refused to procure the parboiled rice from the State, citing a huge pile of buffer stocks. The farmers in Telangana grow paddy in about 54 lakh acres in the rabi season.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to intervene and announce an annual procurement plan. He said it was important for the State to plan crop diversification. He also wanted the Union government to announce procurement targets for the upcoming rabi season.
