Revanth asks farmers to grow paddy in Yasangi without any fear

Hyderabad, December 26: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & MP A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday asked farmers to grow paddy in the Yasangi season without any fear as it is legally binding on the government not only to purchase the farmers’ produce at the Minimum Support Price but also assure them a procurement market. He said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar himself was cultivating paddy on his 150 acres of land in Erravalli in the Gajwel constituency in the Yasangi season.

Addressing a press conference at his residence in Jubilee Hills on Sunday, Revanth Reddy accused CM KCR of adopting a dual stand on paddy cultivation. The Chief Minister has been intimidating the farmers of dire consequences if they cultivate paddy. On the other side, KCR and his family members are growing paddy on their 150 acres of land in Erravalli. KCR is saying that there won’t be any procurement centres for paddy in the Yasangi season. KCR must explain how, where and at what price he proposes to sell the paddy being cultivated on his 150-Acre fields?” he asked.

The TPCC President played a video and showed the pictures of paddy cultivation at the KCR’s fields in Erravalli. He also invited the media persons to visit the location on Monday to check the details themselves.

Revanth Reddy said nearly 95% of farmers own less than three acres of land. “KCR is warning all small farmers against growing paddy. But he is shamelessly cultivating paddy on his fields spread across 150 acres. Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar must explain as to how they plan to procure the paddy being grown by the Chief Minister at his farms?” he asked.

The TPCC President informed that the then Congress Govt introduced the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the year 1965-66. Initially, it was meant for wheat, but it now covers 23 crops including paddy, cotton and chilli. Similarly, he said that the Congress-led UPA Govt introduced Food Security Act in 2016. He said these laws were brought by the Congress Governments to protect the interest of farmers. Therefore, he said that the paddy farmers need not fear anything as their rights for cultivation were protected by the Constitution of India. Condemning the TRS Govt’s plans to create an awareness campaign in the villages against paddy cultivation, he exhorted the farmers to beat such people with ‘chappals’ (slippers) as they were trying to deprive them of exercising their Constitutional rights.

“KCR was voted to power by the farmers and now he is working against their interest. Those who gave him the seat of power also know how to unseat him,” he said.

Revanth Reddy alleged that the paddy farmers in Telangana were being denied MSP which is guaranteed by the law. Anyone refusing to purchase the paddy and other 22 products was liable to be booked under PD Act, arrested and jailed. However, he said that the TRS Govt was not taking any action in cases of refusal of MSP. He said that the TRS leaders, millers, brokers and middlemen were working as a syndicate to deprive farmers of MSP on their produce.

Citing the example of Chattisgarh, Revanth Reddy said that the Congress Govt led by Bhupesh Baghel was giving a bonus of Rs. 600 per quintal in addition to the MSP on paddy. Further, the farmers are being given an incentive of Rs. 9,000 per acre if they take up alternative crops. He invited Ministers K. Tarakarama Rao and Harish Rao to visit Chattisgarh on a study tour on the neighbouring State was supporting the paddy farmers.

The TPCC Chief also condemned the recent statement given by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar that the three black laws, which were repealed due to year-long agitation by Congress-supported agitation, might be brought back. He said that the ‘Suit Boot Ki Sarkar’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre was forced to repeal the controversial laws and PM Modi himself apologised to the farmers. He said that the agitation forced the Modi Govt to drop its plan to enslave farmers before the big corporates. Nearly 750 farmers sacrificed their lives to bring the arrogant Modi Govt to its knees on the issue of farm laws. However, he said that Union Minister Narendra Tomar was insulting the farmers by stating that the farm laws might be re-introduced.

Revanth Reddy said that the Chief Minister was not sincere towards the farmers. He pointed out that the Chief Minister had declared that State Govt would pay compensation of Rs. 3 lakh each to nearly 750 farmers who lost their lives during the agitation. However, he said so far, no official orders have been issued in this regard. “TRS Ministers and MPs camped in New Delhi for over a week. But none of them approached the farmers’ unions to collect the details of martyrs. He said KCR made a fake announcement only to get cheap publicity.

The TPCC Chief said that as per the Food Security Act, the Food Corporation of India was mandated to procure the rice from across the country. While the FCI makes direct procurement in northern States like Punjab, it procures the rice through Civil Supplies Corporation in Telangana. Therefore, he said that the State Government just act as a mediator in the process although it needs to ensure that farmers are paid the MSP for their produce.

He said that the Chief Minister was refusing to purchase paddy for the reason that Yasangi’s paddy gives less quantity of parboiled or raw rice compared to Vanakalam. He said that the overall losses if they occur, amount to nearly Rs. 3,000 crore. It should not be an issue for a State with Rs. 2 lakh crore annual budget to manage Rs. 3,000 crore losses to help lakhs of farmers. Further, he said that there was a huge demand for Telangana’s rice in the global market. Therefore, he said that the State Government could take measures to export the additional rice to various countries.

Revanth Reddy said that the BJP and TRS were indulging in dirty politics while lakhs of farmers were still waiting at their yarns or markets with huge piles of unsold paddy while many of them even lost their lives. He alleged that Modi and KCR Govts were behaving in the most inhuman and insensitive manner for some cheap political gains.

The TPCC Chief said if KCR was unable to understand the provisions of laws on MSP, FSA, etc., he must take someone’s help to understand the guarantees given to farmers under those laws. He asked the farmers not to get distracted from the dirty politics of BJP and TRS and grow paddy in the Yasangi season as per their original plans. He said that the Congress party would fight with all resources to ensure that the government procures every grain of their produce by paying Minimum Support Prices. (Maxim News)

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