Telangana: Paddy 'lies' fly all over

Hyderabad: Will the TRS ministers get an appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers? According to sources in Delhi, Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Piyush Goyal feels that there would be no point in meeting any delegation since the Centre had made it clear that it would buy paddy procured during rabi season as per norms.

But Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had sent a delegation of MPs and ministers to meet the Union Minister and demand that the Centre buy the entire produce of paddy on par with Punjab. This demand seems to have upset the Centre. Sources said even if Goyal agrees to meet the delegation, he would only reiterate what he had said in the past.

Meanwhile, KCR has set a deadline for the Centre saying that he would wait till April 2 before launching the agitation. He has begun holding meetings with farmers' associations and Rythu Samanwaya Samithies to work out an action plan.

It is estimated that the paddy output during rabi would be about 50-lakh metric tonnes. If there was no favourable response from the Centre, KCR proposes to sit on Dharna either at Hyderabad or in Delhi.

TPCC president and MP A Revanth Reddy alleged that the TRS and BJP were playing hide-and- seek game on paddy procurement during every farm season. The Congress will raise the issue in the Parliament, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister T Harish Rao criticised the Centre for having stated that the state government had not sent any proposals regarding increase of ST reservations. He said the central government had given wrong information in Parliament. He said the State Assembly had passed a resolution and sent it to the Centre. The state government had also written letters to the Centre and even Union Home Minister Amit Shah replied saying the matter was under examination. He said TRS would move a privilege motion in Parliament if Union Minister of State for Tribals Bishweswar Tudu does not apologise for misleading the Parliament.

He said the Centre has been misleading the country on every issue whether it be the paddy procurement or increase in reservations. He said BJP means "Bharatiya Jhuta Party".