Bandi Sanjay resents paddy procurement delay

Hyderabad: The BJP has decided to launch a series of agitation programmes in the Karimnagar Parliamentary constituency in protest against the delay in the paddy procurement. As part of the same, the BJP cadre will submit representations to the Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs) on Monday in the Karimnagar Parliament segment.

Raising the issue on Sunday, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar expressed concern about the delay in the paddy procurment even after a month since the beginning of the paddy harvest season in the state, and rice procurement has still not commenced.

The Karimnagar MP pointed out that there is a significant gap between the government’s announcements and its actions on this matter. Although the government declared the establishment of 7,572 paddy procurement centres across the state and claimed that 4,598 of these centres have already opened, “our information indicates that procurement has yet to begin at any centre. Farmers have been left waiting for days with heaps of paddy stacked up. As these centres are filled, some farmers are forced to leave their harvested crops in piles along the roadside, leading to inconvenience for both farmers and travellers,” he added.

Further, making matters worse, recent rainfall has soaked paddy in several districts across the state, damaging a significant portion of the harvest. “In the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency that I represent, which includes Choppadandi, Sircilla Manakondur, and Huzurabad Assembly constituencies, thousands of acres of paddy have been affected by water. Even the paddy brought to procurement centres has been soaked,” he alleged.

While farmers face the immense challenge of protecting their harvested crops, selling them has become an additional burden. The month-long delay in procuring paddy appears to be part of a conspiracy, forcing farmers to sell to millers at reduced rates. “Reports indicate that farmers, out of frustration, are being compelled to sell their paddy to millers at throwaway prices,” the MP said.

Against this backdrop, he stressed that immediate action is needed to commence paddy procurement. The government must uphold its election promise by procuring every grain of paddy, regardless of chaff, shrinkage, or moisture content. Additionally, while the election manifesto pledged a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal for all types of paddy, limiting this bonus (only) to fine rice is unjust. “We urge the government to fulfill its election promise by extending the bonus to all varieties of paddy,” he demanded.

That apart, it was also learnt that a limit has been imposed on the bonus payment for fine rice, with a restriction on procurement per acre, even though some farmers are producing up to 30 quintals per acre. Officials have reportedly received verbal instructions to introduce various measurements to determine fine rice quality. “Farmers have approached us with concerns over these restrictions. Considering all these issues, we request the government to initiate unrestricted procurement of every grain of paddy as promised and extend the bonus to all types, including coarse rice,” he added.