Political frenzy over paddy procurement

On one hand, land and soil are under triple threat from climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. The Commonwealth has given a Call for Action on Living Lands (CALL). It emphasises that it is necessary to implement "targets agreed under the three Rio Conventions influencing policies and harnessing co-benefits in pursuit of a shared vision of living in harmony with nature." The statement affirmed that the objectives of the Movement to Save Soil align with the CALL objectives.

The global effort to save soil from extinction is steadily gaining support from several quarters. Political, business, social, ecological and cultural leaders in addition to celebrated artists, sportspersons and citizens from around the world are beginning to assert that systemic reforms to protect soil is the way forward to secure the future of the planet.

On the other hand, political parties here are making the farmer a pawn in the game of politics. The TRS has worked out an elaborate plan of agitation against non-purchase of paddy by the Centre. Both the Centre and the State are involved in blaming each other. Opposition parties claim that it is diversionary tactics of TRS as the government had recently increased power tariff. Bus ticket rates have gone up, medicines have become costlier, and soon water tariff is likely to be increased. Hyderabad along with the tag of being IT Hub, Pharma Hub, Science City seems to be turning out to be Udta Telangana. This certainly has the potential to affect the brand Hyderabad image.

The BJP questions why TRS is raking up this issue now? It never had procurement problem since 2014 to date. The TRS alleges Centre has no brains, they are pro corporate and anti-farmer. While this wordy duel continues between the centre and the state government, it is the farmers who are suffering and are worried. It's clear that the state government will not buy paddy and the centre says it is the responsibility of the state to procure, mill it and hand it over to the FCI as per the agreements it had entered with Centre.

It would have been better and perhaps politically more advantageous for the pink party if it had adopted two-pronged strategy: One to buy paddy and the other to launch agitation claiming that they are buying paddy because they are pro-farmer unlike Centre. Maybe it could have put more pressure on the Centre to at least examine the demand of the state government and it would have also made the farmer happy because he is not bothered who buys it. He wants MSP.

TRS has been demanding that the centre should buy entire crop as it is done in Punjab. But the actions of AAP government which had come to power in Punjab indicate that it is the state government that is procuring the Rabi crop. Reports from Punjab said that a farmer, Kashmir Singh, became the first farmer in Punjab to receive MSP payment directly in his bank account in Patiala on Saturday. The state food and civil supplies department had procured 51 quintals of wheat in Rajpura on March 31 and it was cleaned and purchased on April 1. Within 24 hours of purchase, the department transferred Rs 1,02,765 directly into the farmer's bank account. Even labour and transport arrangements were completed well before the start of season. Not just that, all mandis in the state have been kept in readiness.

Political parties can do politics with anything but should spare the farmers. Whatever form of agitation the TRS takes up, it should ensure that the farmer gets MSP for his rabi crop.