Hyderabad: Despite Telangana Government’s demand and opposition to TRS, Center has made it clear that it will not buy it steamed rice from the state. The Center has also not given any clarity on the quantum of paddy procurement in the current season.
However, the NDA government assured a ministerial delegation led by Industries Minister KT Rama Rao that it would increase the procurement of paddy and rice to some extent. The Telangana government said the Centre’s move would make ‘boiled rice’ disappear in the state in future.
The Center informed the Telangana government that a final decision on the quantum of paddy to be procured would be announced on November 26 after holding another meeting with officials of the Agriculture and Public Distribution System (PDS) department.
Ministers and official delegations including KTR, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar called on the Union Food and Public Distribution Minister. Piyush Goyal and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar spoke separately on Tuesday on the issue of burning paddy procurement. The government delegation held discussions with the Union ministers for about three hours.
KTR said to set annual target of paddy procurement
Officials said that though Goyal was busy with a US delegation, he took time out to meet the state delegation. During the meeting, KTR talked about setting an annual target of 120 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procurement and increasing the procurement of the current Rabi season from 40 lakh metric tonnes to at least 70 lakh metric tonnes.
On fixing the annual target of paddy procurement, procuring 90% of the production in the current season, the Center said it would work on the figure with senior officials of agriculture and PDS departments on Wednesday and come up with an estimate by Thursday. While the state government has been claiming the area under paddy cultivation in the state to be 62.13 lakh in Kharif season, the Center has put the number at 58.66 lakh.
KTR informed the Union Minister that once he gets some clarity on the issue, the state will plan accordingly and advise farmers not to cultivate paddy and suggest alternative crops.
The state government appealed to the people to wait for clarity from the Center on paddy cultivation in the upcoming rabi season.
The NDA government agreed with KCR’s suggestion that the Center should announce an annual procurement target. Acknowledging that it was a good suggestion which needs to be implemented across the country, the Center said that from next year, it will announce the annual target for all the states.
Chief Minister KCR has been camping in Delhi since Sunday evening to resolve the issue of paddy procurement. He had sought time to meet the PM to apprise him of the issue.
However, the NDA government assured a ministerial delegation led by Industries Minister KT Rama Rao that it would increase the procurement of paddy and rice to some extent. The Telangana government said the Centre’s move would make ‘boiled rice’ disappear in the state in future.
The Center informed the Telangana government that a final decision on the quantum of paddy to be procured would be announced on November 26 after holding another meeting with officials of the Agriculture and Public Distribution System (PDS) department.
Ministers and official delegations including KTR, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar called on the Union Food and Public Distribution Minister. Piyush Goyal and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar spoke separately on Tuesday on the issue of burning paddy procurement. The government delegation held discussions with the Union ministers for about three hours.
KTR said to set annual target of paddy procurement
Officials said that though Goyal was busy with a US delegation, he took time out to meet the state delegation. During the meeting, KTR talked about setting an annual target of 120 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procurement and increasing the procurement of the current Rabi season from 40 lakh metric tonnes to at least 70 lakh metric tonnes.
On fixing the annual target of paddy procurement, procuring 90% of the production in the current season, the Center said it would work on the figure with senior officials of agriculture and PDS departments on Wednesday and come up with an estimate by Thursday. While the state government has been claiming the area under paddy cultivation in the state to be 62.13 lakh in Kharif season, the Center has put the number at 58.66 lakh.
KTR informed the Union Minister that once he gets some clarity on the issue, the state will plan accordingly and advise farmers not to cultivate paddy and suggest alternative crops.
The state government appealed to the people to wait for clarity from the Center on paddy cultivation in the upcoming rabi season.
The NDA government agreed with KCR’s suggestion that the Center should announce an annual procurement target. Acknowledging that it was a good suggestion which needs to be implemented across the country, the Center said that from next year, it will announce the annual target for all the states.
Chief Minister KCR has been camping in Delhi since Sunday evening to resolve the issue of paddy procurement. He had sought time to meet the PM to apprise him of the issue.
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