Congress Govt will buy agriculture produce at higher rates: Uttam

Nagarkurnool, May 15 (Maxim News): Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday promised that the Congress Government, if voted to power in 2019 elections, would ensure procurement of agriculture produce at higher rates.

Addressing a farmers’ meeting at Nagarkurnool, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress party was all set to return to power in Telangana State in 2019 elections. He said that the procurement of agriculture products would be given the highest priority by the future Congress Government. He accused the BJP Government at the Centre and TRS Government in the State of neglecting the agriculture sector. He reminded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speeches of 2014 elections, had promised to implement M.S. Swaminathan Committee report which recommended that agriculture products be procured at remunerative prices. The formula adopted by the Swaminathan Committee was cost of cultivation plus 50%. However, he said the recommendations were not implemented which pushed farmers into huge crisis. While Narendra Modi forgot his promise, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao ignored the farm sector for last three years.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the TRS Government divided the crop loan waiver amount into four installments which resulted in installments being adjusted toward interest by the bankers. “Congress Government in 2019 will waive off Rs. 2 lakh crop loand in a single installment for all 50 lakh farmers in Telangana,” he promised. He also promised that as against the present MSP of Rs. 1510 for paddy, the Congress Government would procure paddy for Rs. 2,000 per quintal. Similarly, Maize and Jowar too will be procured for Rs. 2,000 per quintal. Condemning TRS Government for not making any intervention to procure chilli at remunerative prices, he promised that after coming to power in Telangana, Congress Government would procure chilli for at least Rs. 12,000 per quintal. Likewise, Tur Dal and Turmeric will also be purchased at Rs. 10,000 per quintal.

The TPCC chief also promised that a comprehensive crop insurance scheme would be introduced to ensure that any damage due to natural calamity like drought or flood, each and every farmer in Telangana would get benefitted from the crop insurance cover. He said now BJP and TRS Governments were blaming each other for poor implementation of crop insurance scheme.

Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that KCR has completely neglected the agriculture sector and his insincerity could be established from the fact that he did not visit a single market yard even once during the last three years of his rule. “KCR is now promising to pay Rs. 4,000 per acre input subsidy. This is a cheap election stunt during the election year,” he said. (Maxim News)