Show me the law, I will direct the Telangana to procure paddy

Hyderabad: The Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma's Bench directed the petitioner in the public interest litigation to show the provision of law which obligates the State government to purchase paddy crop from farmers "Show me the Law, I will direct the government to procure paddy from farmers. We are not the lawmakers," observed the Chief Justice.

The Bench was hearing a PIL filed by a law student from Osmania University seeking a direction to the State government to procure paddy yield which was lying Idle at the procurement centres across the State. The petitioner's counsel contended that the MSP as prescribed by Union government was Rs 1,960 per quintal, whereas the ground reality was that middlemen (Mill owners) were purchasing paddy at just Rs 1,000 a quintal and the farmers were selling the crop fearing damage from rains.

CJ Satish Chandra Sharma after hearing the contentions of the counsel for the petitioner observed, "To make a law on MSP, adjudication is still continuing. The Central government cannot make a law because agriculture is a State subject. Fight is going on to declare MSP as a law and a five-member committee is going to meet tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Banda Shivananda Prasad, Advocate General informed the court that the averments raised by the petitioner were not true, rather the PIL petition was premature because the State government had already commenced the process of purchasing paddy from farmers, which is a continuous process that goes on till January-end. The CJ, after hearing the contentions of AG, directed the State to make all possible efforts to procure paddy from farmers, and adjourned the PIL to mid of January directing the government to file counter affidavits.