Don't be irresponsible: Kishan Reddy to CM

Hyderabad: The TRS government informed the Centre that the State's total paddy output of 1.8 crore metric tonnes was arrived at by conducting an eye survey!

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, G Kishan Reddy lashed out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and advised him to be more responsible.

Reddy said the Centre was ready to procure raw rice in a phased manner based on the requirement and the logistics. Claiming that the TRS chief seems to have gone awry after his party's defeat in the Huzurabad by-poll, he told the TRS chief, "Neither the Centre nor the BJP are frightened with his veiled threats." He called upon the CM to keep his home (government) in order than making irresponsible statements and conduct.

The minister pointed out that raising his voice against the Centre would not solve the issue of paddy procurement. He said the Centre had set a target of 600 LMT of paddy across the country during 2020-21. Of this, 94 LMT was the targeted procurement from Telangana--the second-highest in the country. The procurement cost of paddy has gone up from Rs 3,400 crore in 2014 to Rs 26,641 crore in 2020-21 in Telangana. The statistics speak for themselves whether the Centre was acting responsibly keeping in view welfare of farmers of Telangana.

However, he pointed out that the reason for the current mess on paddy procurement was laxity of the State. Reddy said the State had agreed to 40 LMT of procurement at the meeting of the secretaries of Civil Supplies held on August 17, 2021. There was no correspondence with the Centre on the issue till October. Generally, paddy is procured between October-January. It was only on September 29, it was informed that the total paddy production from the TS touched 1.8 crore MT. However, the CM's letter to the Centre claims the State's total paddy production would be 90 LMT.

Adding to the contradictions, the Centre was shocked when the State government informed that it had arrived at the total paddy output based on an eye survey!

"It means looking with eyes and coming to the estimated output of total paddy in the State." he pointed out. It shows that the State had not conducted a proper survey to estimate the production. But it was blaming the Centre to mount pressure on it when farmers harvested paddy and started bringing to markets, Reddy stated. He said over and above the MSP to farmers the Centre pays for bags, labour charges, milling, storage, transport, rental. The State does not bear a single paisa;' rather it benefits.

The minister asserted that the Centre can't procure para boiled rice due to lack of demand and consumption. The State government was informed this and guidelines were issued on equipping all rice mills with fortified rice kernel (FRK) technology to increase the raw rice production capacity. Though the State had assured to adopt it. the implementation was not satisfactory, he said.

Trashes KCR's allegation

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy pooh-poohed Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's accusation of the Centre not sanctioning medical colleges to the State.

He said that the Union government had unveiled a centrally-sponsored project, with a 60:40 share of Centre and State, to start new PG medical colleges in districts, where there are no such institutions. The scheme was implemented in three phases till 2020.

Despite letters written to the State, there was no response; it has not sent proposals to set up a single medical college in any district in any of the three phases, he added. However, the Centre has commenced operations at AIIMS despite the State government yet to hand over the building. Besides, two hospitals remained non-operational in the State. The imported equipment installed there are left to rust due to the State government's laxity, Reddy pointed out.