New Delhi: Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday accused Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), the ruling party in Telangana, of misleading farmers of the State over the procurement of paddy. Goyal was replying to a question raised by TRS MP K Keshav Rao in Rajya Sabha. "Time and again they (Telangana government) are trying to mislead, especially through MPs. It is baseless, incorrect and far from the truth," said Goyal. He also said that the Telangana government should order an investigation into the issue and fulfil its responsibility to farmers.
"It is important that the state government initiates a probe on this issue. The state government should be concerned about farmers and fulfil its responsibility," said Goyal. He said that the Telangana government has given it in writing that it will only provide raw rice and not parboiled rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). He also pointed out that the FCI has signed a memorandum of understanding with all State governments and urged them to buy parboiled rice as per local demand and supply the remaining grain raw to the Central pool.
The Union MInister also said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao recently wrote to the Centre urging it to undertake paddy procurement in his state as it does in Punjab. "We have said that we procure rice from Telangana as we do in Punjab. Rice that we get from Punjab is as per the MoU and that grain can be sold and distributed across the country," said Goyal.
Replying to JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda, during the Question Hour regarding the Karnataka government not taking any steps for procurement of 7 lakh tonnes of ragi at MSP in the State, Goyal said that the Karnataka government has started the procurement of ragi at MSP. He also said that the state government is yet to seek permission from Centre regarding the procurement of maize.
