Peddapalli: Congress leaders stage dharna demanding withdrawal of decision

Peddapalli: Former minister and the Congress party Manthani MLA, D Sridhar Babu demanded the State government to withdraw the decision of closure of purchasing centres of food grains in the State.

Along with the Congress party leaders, MLA D Sridhar Babu staged a dharna in Ramgiri mandal of Manthani in Peddapalli district on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, D Sridhar Babu alleged that in a recent meeting that was held in Pragathi Bhavan, TRS party took the decision of closure of purchasing centres from village level in the State from the upcoming Rabi season and announced that there would be no transaction of purchasing and selling of agriculture products through the State government.

It is said that with this decision taken by the TRS government, around Rs 7,500 crore loss would occur for the State government. Congress has already opposed the move taken by the TRS government about a controlled method of cultivation which was brought forcible in the State.

Now withdrawal of purchasing centres in the villages is nothing but betraying the farming community present in the State, he criticised.

Obliging the orders of the State government, the farmers also started cultivating the same type of crops suggested by the State government, then what is the need to close the purchasing centres, he questioned.

When the entire farming community of the State is participating in the agitation against the three agriculture bills introduced by the BJP government, the TRS also initially opposed the Bills and participated in the Bharat Bandh programme in support of the farmers' agitation. But by taking a U turn, TRS party withdrew purchasing centres in the villages which is nothing but supporting the Central government and private corporate companies against the farmers in the State and in the country, he alleged.He demanded the State government to take back its decision of closing the purchasing centres of food grains in the villages in the interest of the farmers present in the State.

D Sridhar Babu had also written an open letter to the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao in this regard on Wednesday.