Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Tuesday condemned the statements and ‘abuses’ hurled against the Centre by the TRS Government especially Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the paddy procurement issue and slammed the latter for “total failure” in completing the procurement on time .
“Paddy procurement has been increased by four times from Telangana ever since the Modi Government came to power and this season, we have already extended the deadline three times but the TS Government is yet to complete the process. We have even agreed to buy more than the agreed quantity whether it is raw or boiled rice. All other allegations have no basis and only meant to mislead the farmers,” he said.
Addressing a press conference after meeting a delegation of BJP leaders from TS led by his Cabinet colleague and Secunderabad MP G. Kishan Reddy at his chambers in New Delhi, Mr. Goyal said the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was ready to lift the stocks supplied by the Government as it was the States’ responsibility to procure directly from the farmers.
“How are they concerned about the railway wagons availability, it is the FCI which has to look into the matter and there is no shortage of rakes. It is not fair about my denying appointment to TS ministers since I was in Uttar Pradesh and later in Mumbai, in any case I did not invite them. I was told all this is because of continuous defeats of the TRS in the recent bypolls,” he said.
The Centre was ready to take any amount of rice for the central pool through the FCI as per the country’s requirements and the State Government can use the same for public distribution too. “The TRS Government has given a commitment not to supply boiled rice from next season and cannot make any kind of baseless charges now. Telangana farmers should know the BJP and the Modi Government are with them,” he reiterated.
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Kishan Reddy said paddy procurement was discussed in detail with Mr. Goyal and said the TRS Government was yet to procure 4.6 lakh metric tonnes of boiled rice and 13.25 lakh metric tonnes of raw rice - 27.39 lakh metric tonnes in total.
“The TRS Government has to explain the delay in procurement and why it is unable to meet the targets for this season. Farmers and others of TS have the right to know on what basis the Government here had has accepted not to supply boiled rice from next season and what steps it has taken to mitigate the farmers woes,” he added. Senior leaders D. Aravind, E. Rajender, D.K. Aruna, Vijayashanti and others were part of the delegation.
