Continuing to increase pressure on the Union Government to procure paddy from Telangana during summer, leaders and activists of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) under the leadership of Ministers held dharna before Collectorates across the State on Thursday. They raised slogans against the Centre.
TRS working president and IT and Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao said that it was the responsibility of the Centre to procure paddy from the State. Participating in a dharna held before Sircilla Collectorate, Mr. Rama Rao said that they would be holding a protest in New Delhi on April 11 so that the pressure will be felt by the Union Government.
Exhibiting the placard ‘Centre should procure paddy from Telangana,’ Finance and Health Minister T. Harish Rao has participated in dharna before Collectorate at Siddipet. “In the past we have fought for Telangana. Now we are fighting for the farmers of Telangana. In the past every government has purchased paddy from the State and we are demanding to follow the same and it was genuine,” said Mr. Harish Rao, adding that farmers are being forced to be on road due to the anti-farmer policies of the Centre. A large number of farmers were present.
Participating in a protest before Sangareddy Collectorate, Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Sinivas Yadav said that the fight on the Centre would continue till the last grain of paddy was procured from the State.
Tribal and Women Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod, participating in dharna at Mahabubabad, said that Centre has been trying to escape from its responsibility of procuring paddy from farmers. Informing that they are going to hold a protest in New Delhi on April 11, she appealed the farmers to extend support.
“The Union government should not create a situation of confrontation with the farmers again by retracting the purchase of paddy. If the government does not accept the demands of the farmers, the farmers of Telangana will be forced to protest in Delhi. The Central Government should not discriminate among the farmers,” said MLC K. Kavitha, while speaking to a news channel.
At Nirmal the protests were led by Endowments Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy. “The Centre has been intentionally creating problem to farmers. The BJP leaders who asked farmers to sow paddy are not visible now and they trying to hide themselves,” said Mr. Indrakaran Reddy.
“State should not stock the foodgrains. It was the responsibility of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under Centre to take care of the issue. We will continue our agitation till our demand was met,” said Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar while participating at Karimnagar.
Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy asked the BJP leaders why they were silent now when the Centre is not coming forward to procure paddy. He said that there will be more broken rice after milling in summer and hence they were demanding Centre to procure paddy instead of rice.
Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy and Home Minister Mahmood Ali have participated in protests at Nalgonda. Mr Jagadish Reddy said that the Centre has to procure paddy as per the Act and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao would not allow farmers to suffer come what may.
