Hyderabad: Ministers slam Centre over rice export ban

Hyderabad: Stating that the food security in the country was at risk and there was lack of foresight in the policies of the Central government, TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday demanded Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal to implement one nation and one food grain procurement policy.

Rao further alleged that the current food grain crisis clearly indicates that the Modi government lacks a long-term plan for the country's food needs. "It is people's misfortune that the inefficient BJP government at the Center neither has any clue about the development and welfare of the people nor does it have a strategic long term plan," The Minister remarked.

Lashing out at the Union government, Finance Minister T Harish Rao said that the Centre doesn't have any agriculture policy to run the country. Speaking at a programme in Sangareddy district on Saturday, Harish Rao said few months ago, the Union government asked the Telangana farmers not to cultivate paddy as the country has abundant stock of rice which can be met the demand for the next four years. All of sudden, it has banned the exports of broken rice and imposed 20 per cent duty on exports of non-Basmati rice due to decline of food grains.

It clearly indicates that the Union government doesn't have any vision towards the agriculture sector, Harish Rao alleged. The Minister said there was huge demand for rice across the globe due to various reasons and the Union government is unable to utilise the opportunity due to poor vision towards the agriculture sector. Harish Rao demanded that the Centre should give an explanation to people as to why the ban has been imposed on the export of broken rice and why the Union ministers have pressurised the Telangana farmers not to cultivate the paddy.