KCR may sit on dharna in Delhi

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to sit on a dharna in New Delhi if the Union government fails to respond positively to his demand to announce a policy on rice procurement in the Yasangi (rabi) season in Telangana. Accompanied by his Cabinet colleagues, KCR went to Delhi on Sunday evening.

Before that, the ministers and official delegations led by him would meet the Union Ministers and if possible Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tentatively, KCR is planning to stay in the national capital for at least a week. The state ministers would apprise Union Commerce and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal about the challenges they are facing in procurement of paddy and would demand that the Centre come out with a policy decision on the paddy procurement to ensure the farmers did not face difficulties. Based on the Centre's stand, the State Government will evolve its rabi crop plan.

It may be recalled that the chief minister had recently written a letter to the Prime Minister informing him about how much more paddy needed to be bought from the State during kharif in view of increased production. If the Centre is not ready, KCR clarified that the State would encourage alternative crops in the next agricultural season.

Sources said that the CM would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to discuss farm-related issues and pending issues after bifurcation of the State.

He would also be meeting Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to reiterate the demand for speedy constitution of a new Tribunal to resolve the Krishna water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.