Centre never said no to paddy purchase: False propaganda

New DelhiUnion Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Piyush Goyal took strong objection to the 'false and malicious propaganda' by the TRS government on the issue of paddy procurement. The minister told the BJP MPs from Telangana -- Bandi Sanjay, Dharmapuri Arvind and S Bapurao -- that the Centre had never said that it would not buy paddy from the State. When the Central government was buying paddy from entire country why would it ignore Telangana? He said KCR should once again go through the replies given by the Union government in Parliament. It had clearly stated that it would buy paddy during rabi. He said the TRS government has been indulging in wrong propaganda to hide its failures.

The State government had failed to fulfil its obligation of supply of rice even during the last rabi season and had not cooperated with the Centre. It is surprising that it now blames the Centre and talks of agitation.

As far as parboiled rice was concerned, it was again the TRS government which gave written undertaking not to supply parboiled rice. The State BJP leaders are learnt to have discussed the issue of possibility of purchase of entire paddy procured in the State during rabi. The minister is said to have told them that the Government of India had not received any request from the Telangana government and if there was any such request, it would be examined as per rules and norms.