Government should pay Rs 500 bonus, MSP to paddy: Palla

Hyderabad: BRS party MLA Palla Rajeswar Reddy on Friday said that the State government did not give a bonus of 500 rupees for the grain grown by the farmers and added that it also did not even give the support price.

Speaking to media persons at Telangana Bhavan in the city along with former MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and other party leaders, he claimed that the farmers were selling their produce at the rate of Rs 1500 per quintal and added that the 193 grain purchase centres set up in Jangaon purchased only 440 metric tonnes so far. He said that the market yard received 4,000 metric tonnes so far and added that only 1530 rupees per quintal was being given to the farmers at the market yard while noting that traders are buying the paddy from middlemen for less than Rs 700 of the minimum the support price. He alleged that when they cornered officials about the low minimum support price, they initially maintained that they were not buying at the lower price. He said that even after the matter went to the CM, the farmers got only 30 rupees extra. He alleged that the markets had gone into the hands of middlemen. He also alleged that neither the CM nor state ministers were bothered about the farmers.

“CM Revanth Reddy has said many times during the elections that he will give a bonus of Rs 500 and buy the paddy for Rs 2500 per quintal. What CM Revanth and deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka are doing when the support price is not even available,” he asked.