BJP changing its colours like a chameleon: Errabelli Dayakar Rao

Hanumakonda: The arid land in Telangana has been transformed into productive land in just about seven years, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao said, referring to the construction of irrigation projects and other proactive measures taken by the TRS government for the uplift of agriculture.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said that Telangana made huge strides in the agriculture sector as it now stands second only to Punjab in agricultural acreage and yield.

"The cultivated land in the kharif was 1.41 crore acres. Of which farmers cultivated paddy in 62.08 lakh acres. At an average, the yield of paddy was 26.5 quintals per acre. But the Centre was not ready to buy the produce," Errabelli said. The Centre's refusal to buy parboiled rice is nothing but an indication to the farmers not to cultivate paddy anymore, he said.

"On the one hand, the FCI denies purchasing paddy, but on the other hand BJP demands the State to procure it," Errabelli said, terming it as Centre's ploy to instigate the farmers. Why not the Centre which purchases paddy from Punjab to do the same with Telangana, he pointed out. The responsibility of purchasing agricultural produce is with the Centre as per the Indian Constitution, but the BJP government was trying to escape from it, the Panchayat Raj Minister said.

Farmers have become the victims of Centre's double standards, he said, appealing to people to understand the BJP's vicious tactics.

Referring to the three farm laws, Errabelli said that the Centre wants to handover the agriculture sector to the corporate houses. "These new laws trigger black marketing of essentials besides trampling the lives of farmers," the minister said. Terming the Centre as anti-farmer, he said that the BJP will bite the dust due to its policies that are detrimental to the interests of the cultivators. Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, Mayor Gundu Sudharani and Parkal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy were among others present.