Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North East G. Kishan Reddy has informed that the Centre had accepted the TS government’s request to purchase 40 lakh metric tonnes this season on Wednesday.
“We are requesting the government to expedite the procurement process and reign in the rice millers to ensure raw rice and less of broken rice is produced as an upgrade of machinery will help in that direction,” he told a press conference at New Delhi.
The Minister also wanted the TS government to establish a Biofuel Development Board to make biofuel out of broken rice, spoilt rice or excess rice as the Centre is ready to provide subsidy under the viability gap funding, know how on setting up of units and marketing facilities.
“We had written to the chief secretary in 2019 itself but there has been no response from the government whereas Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh and others have set up biofuel development boards,” he explained.
Mr. Kishan Reddy charged the TRS government with unnecessarily delaying the procurement process to spread “baseless allegations” against the Centre when it has not made plans to have sufficient gunny bags, weighing equipment, tarpaulin sheets to cover the produce in case of rain and other infrastructure.
“Telangana needs 15 crore jute sacks and the production is in Bengal, how does the government propose to procure and transport paddy,” he questioned. Despite six extensions, the government has failed to supply agreed amount of paddy of last year till date, he claimed and added that offer of supply of fortified rice too has not elicited any response.
Senior BJP leader and national OBC president K. Laxman has accused the TRS leaders including senior Minister K.T.Rama Rao of “bending backwards to please the Majlis leaders after handing over the Old city to the party”, on Wednesday.
“Mr. Rama Rao accusing our party of indulging in communal politics while moving around with the communal MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi is like the devil quoting the scriptures. The recent thrashing of the power sector engineer for taking action for non-payment of bills and the police not being allowed to enforce law and order in the Old city showed the TRS ineffective governance,” he said.
“Why doesn’t the Chief Minister or KTR have anything to say on the Bhainsa riots here when they freely talk of incidents in Karnataka and elsewhere? The TRS government did not even react when Majlis leaders boasted of having the “steering of the TRS car. Everyone is aware of how Akbaruddin Owaisi was allowed to go scot free in the hate speech case,” he said.
Mr. Laxman claimed that none of the schemes of the Modi Government at the Centre “discriminates against caste, creed or community. “I request KTR to visit Uttar Pradesh to see the welfare schemes. If he and other TRS leaders think secularism entitles them to criticise the festivals of the majority community, they will pay a heavy price in the coming days,” he said.
