TRS, BJP governments are two peas in a pod

Hyderabad: Former president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy stating that his party was ready to fight the Union and the State governments over paddy procurement, has asked the farmers in the State to cultivate only paddy.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Uttam said that his party would not entertain restriction on paddy sowing in Rabi season and asked the tillers to cultivate the same. "We will fight in the Assembly and in Parliament to press the governments buy the paddy," he promised.

Alleging that government is in nexus with rice millers and deliberately delaying paddy purchase in the State, the Congress senior leader accused the Telangana government of making farmers desperate to sell the produce much lower than the Minimum Support Price.

Demanding that the State government should purchase every grain of paddy at the MSP rate, Uttam mocked that the incompetence of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has reached its zenith with the government failing to procure paddy produced during Kharif season.

"So far, the State government has not finalised the transport tenders. Transportation is required to shift paddy from procurement centres to the mills," he said.

Criticising the Centre for its partiality, Uttam said that the Centre has been paying Rs 45 as Hamali charge in Punjab, whereas it was paying only Rs 5 in Telangana, thereby pushing the onto farmers.

Objecting to the comments of Chief Minister that it was not possible for the State to export paddy, he said that the CM should have a better understanding of the situation. "Rice from Chhattisgarh is being exported by its State government with an incentive of Rs 500 per quintal. Same procedure could be adopted in the State," he suggested.