Hyderabad: Amid a tussle between the Centre and Telangana government over paddy procurement, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders on Thursday warned that farmers will be forced to protest in the national capital if their entire crop is not purchased. Minister KTR stressed that their struggle will not stop till the whole Rabi crop is purchased. KTR, MLA Chennamaneni Rameshbabu and others took part in a dharna staged against the Central government at Ambedkar crossroads in Rajanna Sirisilla district headquarters. "Today people are facing problems with the hike in petrol and gas prices, but Modi did not think about the common man. BJP only focuses on corporates," alleged KTR.
Finance Minister Harish Rao has said that black flags will be flown over the houses of Telangana farmers against the Modi government. He alleged that the BJP government was cheating farmers. The minister said they would fight till the Central government bought the entire paddy from Telangana farmers. He took part in a protest rally in the Siddipet district.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavita said the Central government is not procuring parboiled rice from Telangana and alleged the Centre is meting out step-motherly treatment towards Telangana. She also attacked the Union government for going back on its promise of buying paddy from Telangana farmers and said it should buy the entire crop from the state.
Read: Telangana: CM to lead delegation of ministers to Delhi over paddy procurement
Kavitha warned the Central government that "if the Centre did not pay attention to the feelings of the farmers, they would be forced to agitate on the streets of Delhi. "Referring to the recent farmers' agitation which prompted the Centre to repeal three farm laws, she said if the farmers once again sit on the streets of Delhi, the Central government will have to bow down and eventually listen to the farmers. Kavitha said that the Central government should not once again create a situation of confrontation with the farmers," Kavita reminded.
The responsibility of storing foodgrains rests with the Central government, but it is unfortunate that it is "shunning its responsibility and wants to put the entire burden on the State government", she told reporters. Alleging that the BJP-ruled government at the Centre of having a double standard policy, Kavita said, "on one hand it claims to double farmers' income and on the other hand, it does not want to buy farmers' produce."
"While three months of this year have passed, the BJP government should tell when the farmers' income will be doubled. Far from doubling farmers' income due to rising inflation every day, debt and expenditure have doubled," she added. TRS leaders in the state as well as in Parliament have been demanding that the Centre procure parboiled rice even though the Central government has made it clear that it can only procure raw rice and not parboiled rice, which is not largely consumed in the country. Raw rice is not processed or steamed beforehand while parboiled rice is cooked partially and then dehydrated and dried out for sale to consumers.
Read: Telangana: KTR slams Centre for 'misleading' people on rising fuel prices
