KCR to hold paddy dharna in Delhi on Monday

Hyderabad: With no response from the Centre to a series of agitations and blocking of highways demanding the Union government to purchase entire rabi crop of paddy, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has decided to hold a dharna in Delhi on Monday.

KCR, who is in the national capital at present, will stay put in Delhi. He has asked about 1,500 TRS leaders, including ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, Corporation Chairpersons, Zilla Parishad Chairpersons, TRS State secretaries and district party unit presidents to reach Delhi and participate in the agitation. He would be leading the dharna.

TRS leaders said KCR was reviewing the arrangements for the conduct of the dharna. A few leaders affiliated to National Farmers' Association, including Rakesh Singh Tikait, will take part in the agitation. KCR feels that this dharna would help in drawing the attention of other anti-BJP parties and attention of national media in "exposing" the Centre on the paddy issue.

TRS MP Santosh Kumar and CM personal assistant visited the dharna site along with Telangana Rythu Samanvaya Samithi Chairman P Rajeshwar Reddy and reviewed the arrangements. Later, Santosh briefed KCR about the arrangements. As the temperature is souring in Delhi, leaders said precautionary measures were being taken to ensure no one falls sick while sitting in the day-long dharna.

Sources said that KCR will deliver a speech and also make some announcements. It is being speculated that he may announce that as the Centre was not responding, the State itself will buy paddy from farmers. Leaders said that KCR was holding talks with a group of farmers' associations to launch a nationwide agitation demanding 'one nation - one procurement policy' in the future.