New Delhi: As the Center has refused to buy paddy from Telangana farmers during the current rabi season, the state government has opted to buy it on Tuesday, news agency IANS reported.
The decision was taken by the state cabinet during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who led the protests in Delhi on Monday demanding the Center to procure the entire rice crop.
Leaders set an example!!
After Modi government failed Telangana paddy farmers, Hon’ble CM KCR Garu has announced that the state government will buy the entire paddy at MSP.
The leader of the public took a historic decision !! #kcrforkisan#TRSforTelangana pic.twitter.com/Ut6KXIocdM
– Kavita Kalvakuntala (Ravakavitha) 12 April 2022
KCR, as the Chief Minister is fondly known, told reporters that the decision was taken in the best interest of the farmers. Purchasing centers will be open in all communities from Wednesday.
The government will pay Rs 1,960 for each quintal of paddy. The amount will be deposited immediately in the bank accounts of the farmers.
KCR urged the farmers not to sell their paddy below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He gave a guarantee to the farmers that the state government would acquire every grain even if there was a loss of Rs 3,000 to 3,500 crore for it.
Citing the Constitutional obligation of the Center to safeguard the food security of the country, he urged that the Center compensate 37 per cent loss to the state during the Rabi season.
He said the proportion of rice damaged due to higher temperatures during the season would be higher. In Kharif season, where 67 kg of rice is produced from one quintal of paddy, in Rabi season only 34 to 35 kg of rice is produced.
A four-member team headed by the Chief Secretary will examine ways to reduce the damage caused by broken rice.
The Chief Minister hit out at the Center for refusing to procure Telangana paddy. He said that Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal insulted the people of Telangana when a ministerial committee accompanied him to the demand for paddy.
KCR, who staged a sit-in in Delhi regarding this matter, said that he has exposed the central government in front of the country.
He said that though the government did not have Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 3,500 crore to buy paddy, it enabled scamsters to steal thousands of crores from public sector banks and leave the country, as well as large corporations. Lakh crores given exemption.
He claimed it was India’s misfortune to lead an “anti-farmer” administration, and accused the government of conspiring to shift agriculture to the corporate sector.
He outlined the work done by his government in the last seven years to promote the well being of the agriculture industry and farmers. As a result of these efforts, he claims that the cultivated area has increased to more than one crore acres.
Telangana has the highest area under paddy cultivation in the country at 35.84 lakh acres during the Rabi season. Andhra Pradesh is second with 16.68 lakh acres. The paddy production of Telangana is estimated to be 83.83 lakh tonnes.
He said that no government in the country or the world gives Rs 10,000 per acre every year for agriculture. The government spends Rs 15,000 crore every year on this initiative called ‘Rythu Bandhu’.
KCR said the state government is spending Rs 1,500 crore on free electricity for farmers and Rs 1,600 crore on ‘Rythu Bheem’ insurance scheme.
(with IANS inputs)