Centre, State keep paddy pot boiling

New Delhi: The efforts of TRS ministers and MPs to get a written assurance from the Centre on paddy purchase did not succeed. On the other hand, Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal expressed his displeasure over the MPs and ministers from Telangana coming to Delhi often on this issue though the Centre had clarified all the queries raised by them.

Piyush Goyal said that the TRS leaders were politicising the issue of paddy purchase and were confusing the farmers. He denied the allegation of the delegation that he was not giving appointment.

"I was in Mumbai on Saturday, in UP on Sunday, who asked them to come and sit here. Everybody is busy with their work. How is that they are free? It is because they don't want to serve the people of Telangana," he said.

Goyal said it was not proper to blame the Centre. The Union Government was farmer-friendly. He said it was the TRS government which had failed to keep up its word. 

Of the quantity of rice it had agreed to supply to the FCI during last rabi, it had failed to deliver 27.39 lakh tonnes which includes raw rice and parboiled rice even after the Centre extended the time four times, he said. As far as present kharif crop is concerned, Goyal said purchase would begin from January 31, 2022 and they had agreed to buy 40 lakh MT. Goyal said the consumption of parboiled rice has gone down and the Centre has enough stocks for the next four years.

Hence, Telangana was asked to deliver only raw rice and they entered into an agreement, he added. Asking Telangana farmers not to fall prey to the campaign of the State Government, Goyal said that it was wrong to say that there were no rakes. The Centre would provide as many rakes as demanded but that should be rabi crops grown in Telangana and not from other States.

The delegation of ministers and MPs after the meeting told the media that they will be staying in New Delhi until they get a written assurance on procurement of paddy for kharif season. Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddy said written assurance was necessary since it would impact the decision on whether or not to open procurement centres. He claimed that the Union Minister had agreed to speed up the procurement and gave orders.