Centre playing with lives of farmers: Harish Rao

Sangareddy: State Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday directed the officials to interact with the farmers and encourage them to cultivate the cotton and soybean in more acres as there is a huge demand in the market. Addressing the agriculture department officials during the paddy procurement review meeting in Sangareddy Collectorate,Harish Rao adviced the officials to encourage the farmers to grow more and soybean in more acres. He instructed the officials to provide the fertilisers to the farmers before the rainy season to avoid any shortage of seeds later on. Training his guns against the Centre, the Minister said the Central government has increased the investment on cultivation by hiking the prices of diesel and fertilisers.

Rao said the Telangana government is providing investment support through Rythu Bandhu. Since the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has kept his promise of providing Irrigation water to one crore acres, Rao added that Telangana has become largest cultivator of paddy in India during the Yasangi. Rao has accused the Union government of maintaining double standards in paddy procurement policy. While it was procuring 100 per cent paddy and wheat harvest from Punjab farmer, the Minister stated that the Union government has refused to buy Yasangi paddy from Telangana despite repeated appeals from State government. Despite of all the challenges, he said that CM KCR has decided to procure paddy by spending Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 3,000 crore. He further said that they have already spent Rs 4,500 crore on paddy procurement in the past since the Centre did not pay the costs of gunny bags, tarpaulins godown rents and interest.

Responding on the Yasangi paddy procurement, the Minister said that an Agriculture Extension Officer will oversee the paddy procurement in each of procurement centre in Sangareddy District. Since the farmers transplanted the paddy a bit late this Yasangi, he said that the harvest season may commence a bit late and may continue until the rainy season commences. To protect the paddy from rains, he has asked them to make available more tarpaulins. Rao has called upon the farmers to bring the paddy to procurement centre after properly drying up. MP Medak Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Collector Sangareddy M Hanumantha Rao, Andole MLA Chanti Kranthi Kiran, Zilla Parishad Chairperson P Manjusri, Additional Collector J Veera Reddy, Additional Collector Rajaharshi Sha and others were present.