TRS, BJP govts play tu tu mai mai blame game

Mahabubanagar: The paddy farmers have no hope as the State government has been inordinately delaying the paddy procurement across Palamuru region.

With the rain Gods showing fury and the procurement agencies not coming forward to procure the paddy, the poor farmers who have brought their produce at the procurement centres are waiting patiently in the hope that the authorities will buy their harvest over past 15 days and has now lost all hopes and are forced to sell their produce in the open markets at throw away prices causing huge loss for.

Jairam, a farmer from Shankarayapally village of Jadcherla mandal said that he was the first person to harvest his paddy crop 15 days back, from then onwards he has put his paddy for drying and visiting the agriculture and marketing officials for getting the procurement token, but even till date he has not got any token or at least an assurance by the concerned authorities as to when will the government begin its paddy procurement process.

"I am fed up visiting the marketing and agriculture officials. Every time I go to enquire about the tokens for paddy procurement, they are saying come after few days and sometimes they are saying they have not received any directions from the government for procurement of paddy. As I am in dire need of money, I have decided to sell my produce in the open markets," said Jairam, expressing his hopelessness.

Not just Jairam, another farmer Shaga Krishna from Mallebeinpally village, who has also sown paddy crop over 8 acres is in a dilemma, whether to go for harvest or not as the government is yet to start procurement of paddy. "I have sown paddy over 8 acres, am not in a hurry to harvest now. I am just adopting a wait and watch policy. I am witnessing the problems of some of the farmer who had already harvested and facing tough time due to untimely rains as they have all soaked their grains and suffering. However, this season the mood of the farmers is very low as the procurement initiative has not yet taken up the momentum in the district," observed Krishna.

However, Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) members who have been given authority to procure paddy are of the version that the paddy procurement is going on. But unlike earlier, the procurement process has not got decentralised and it is being done at the one designated place.

Due to this, the entire procurement centre is filled with heaps of paddy dumped by the farmers and have jammed the centres with no option for the other farmers to get a chance to bring his produce to the centre.

"The Paddy procurement is going on, but tokens are being given to only those farmers whose paddy is completely dry and cleaned. The agriculture officer will have to give his assent only then we will procure the paddy. Currently we are procuring paddy of 4-5 farmers a day. We are hoping this will get accelerated in the coming days," informed Yadaiah, a PACS member from Jadcherla.

The Congress party members from Mahabubnagar who have been alleging that the State and Central governments are playing dramas and fooling the farmers, demanded that the State government should open up the procurement centres in every village and facilitate the farmers.

"The State and Central governments must stop the drama of blaming each other and assure farmers to buy paddy at enhanced MSP," said G Madhusudhan Reddy, Devarkadra Congress Constituency incharge and TPCC secretary.

The Congress leaders held protest and raised slogans against the State and Central governments for adopting anti-farmer policies with regard to paddy procurement.

Kottakota mandal Congress general secretary Ellampally Narender Reddy while visiting a few procurement centres also demanded the government to immediately purchase the paddy and relieve the farmers from the hardships.

The Congress leaders after visiting the procurement centres and interacting with the farmers filed a petition at the local Tahasildar office in Kottakota mandal and urged them to open up more procurement centres and help the paddy farmers.

In Wanaparthy district, former minister and AICC secretary Chinna Reddy also handed over a memorandum to the district Collector Yashmin Basha and demanded the government to open up more procurement centres to help accelerate the procurement process of paddy.