Following a call given by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for protests across Telangana against the alleged ‘anti-farmer’ policies of the Government, the party held protests in all districts demanding procurement of paddy and payment of ₹500 bonus per quintal.
Claiming that the Congress government went back on its assurance made before the polls, the BRS cadre took to the streets in all the districts and constituencies, led by the party leaders. They sat on the roads and raised slogans against the Government.
In Karimnagar, the protest was led by MLC Gangula Kamalakar while former MLA Dasari Manohar Reddy and Korukanti Chander participated in Peddapalli and Godavarikhani respectively. Similar protests were organised across all the constituencies in the State. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the officials.
Mr. Kamalakar alleged that the government has changed its stance on the bonus. Now it is claiming that the bonus would be given only for the fine variety of paddy, but during the elections, Congress had promised to provide it to all varieties. He said 90% of farmers in Telangana cultivate normal paddy and when the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has not segregated it, how could the Government identify the fine variety.
Earlier, BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao called for State-wide protests to pressurise the Government to stick to its stand. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao also demanded that the Government focus on procurement since the elections were over, and that the Chief Minister should forget politics and focus on administration now.
