Make Centre commit to paddy, KCR tells leaders

Hyderabad: Go to Delhi, meet the Union Civil Supplies Minister and if need be, meet the Prime Minister and obtain a written assurance on the Centre's stand on paddy procurement from Telangana and the quantity they would purchase.

This was the direction given by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to TRS leaders on Friday. Addressing the extended steering committee meeting, KCR said a delegation which would include Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, G Jagadish Reddy, V Prashanth Reddy, Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, floor leaders in Parliament, K Keshava Rao and Nama Nageswara Rao would to go Delhi on Saturday.

The Centre's target of 60-lakh tonnes is getting completed and still the crops are yet to be harvested in many districts.

He said they will ask the Centre about the possibility of procuring the remaining quantity of paddy.

Meanwhile, the party rank and file will take up protests at village level, including burning of effigies, rasta roko etc. KCR also directed the party to effectively counter the BJP statements. He said the party leaders should not remain silent observers like 'Utsava Murtis".

He said though the BJP is not a political force in the State, they are making all kinds of statements. He said they should not only be countered, but if need be, question them wherever they go and expose the dual stand of BJP.

Sources said that the TRS expressed displeasure over the cross-voting in the recent Council elections. The Khammam leaders tried to give an explanation to the TRS chief.

He told the leaders that justice would be done to all leaders but they need to have some patience. He also said that all MLAs get tickets again and he would take the responsibility to make them win the next general elections.