Agriculture Award to KCR is completely undeserved: Uttam

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated the allegation that the Agriculture Leadership Award being conferred by the Indian Council for Food & Agriculture (ICFA), an organization of dubious background, on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was totally fake.

“In the last four years of his governance, KCR has pushed the farming community into its most serious crisis ever. The result of failure to implement his assurance on farm loan waiver, failure to provide MSP to farmers, and lack of pro-active measures by the government have led over 3,500 farmers to suicide. In this background, it is shocking that any worthwhile organization would present agriculture achievement award to CM KCR,” he said.

"Although we leave accepting or not accepting the award to the wisdom of the Chief Minister, any agriculture award to KCR is completely unacceptable as he is responsible for pushing Telangana's farm sector into deepest crisis," said Uttam Kumar Reddy while addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday. He said that a fake award is being given by a letter-head organisation whose chief is affiliated with the BJP.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, along with TPCC Chief Spokesperson Dr. Dasoju Sravan, Vice-President Dr. Mallu Ravi and MLA A. Sampath Kumar, gave a detailed power-point presentation on the ICFA and its antecedents. He said as per the records of Registrar of Companies, ICFA was a private organisation which was registered on 5th June, 2015. He said how a company registered in 2015 could claim that it has been giving awards from 2008, he asked.

Further, Uttam Kumar Reddy said ICFA is wholly and solely owned, controlled and funded by M.J. Khan, who has business interests in companies such as M/s. Concept Agrotech Consultants Limited and M/s. Bhagidhari Agrotech Private Limited which are essentially commercial organisations having business interests in agricultural and related activities.

ICFA has a board of directors consisting of 3 directors namely M.J. Khan, Alok Sinha and Sunil Kumar. "While Sunil Kumar is the director in companies such as M/s Azardica Foods Private Limited, M/s N.V. Indian Agro Fresh Private Limited, and M/s Synergy Technology Private Limited, Alok Sinha is a director in various companies including National Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited, M/s Entegra Limited etc. The RoC records clearly indicate that M/s. Entegra Limited has debts exceeding Rs. 280 Crores, which do not appear to have been repaid," he pointed out.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the ICFA's balance sheets, as on March 31st, 2016, shows that no payments/salaries were paid to employees and no expenses were incurred in promotional activities or for any activity of any nature in the business year 2015-16. He asked as to how the ICFA was organising awards ceremonies without any trace of expenditure. He also pointed that the ICFA, in its brochure, listed organising 'Networking Dinners with Ministers and other dignitaries' as one its activities. "Is it a broker firm or a PR company?" he asked.

The TPCC Chief also played an old video-clip of August 19, 2013, wherein Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is welcoming ICFA head MJ Khan into BJP fold.

Uttam Kumar Reddy condemned the hype created around the award by the Chief Minister's Office and described it as misleading. However, he said he would not comment on the press release sent by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan by wrongly mentioning that the Chief Minister was being given an award by the Government of India.

He informed that he would be writing a letter to agronomist M.S. Swaminathan, who was named as the Chairman of ICFA's National Awards Committee, along with a report on dilapidated condition of agriculture sector in Telangana State. He said he would also be sending a letter to the Chief Minister along with the RoC documents on the background of ICFA.

When asked for reaction on agricultural committees being formed by the State Government, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the TRS Government was trying to accommodate ruling party cadre in the committees and the entire process was not being implemented in a transparent and fair manner. He said there was no objection to payment of Rs. 4,000 as input subsidy to farmers. However, KCR Government was trying to benefit TRS cadre in a completely unaccountable manner. "TRS Govt did not extend any help to farmers during the last four years and it is proposing to give input subsidy of Rs. 4,000 per acre to farmers in election year. This is nothing but an election gimmick," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the issue. Further, he alleged that the State Government was not acting in a transparent manner with regard to land surveys.

Congress delegation to meet Karnataka CM on Sept 1

Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that a delegation of State Congress leaders would meet Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on September 1 seeking release of water for Telangana State. He said he had already written a letter to the Karnataka CM on the issue. As a follow-up, he said either a delegation of Telangana Congress would meet Siddaramaiah in person or he would speak to him over phone on the issue.