Hyderabad: BRS deputy floor leader Harish Rao criticised the Telangana government over delays in paddy procurement and accused it of failing to protect farmers from mounting hardships.
Harish Rao visited the municipal agricultural market in Choutuppal on Thursday and interacted with farmers waiting at procurement centres. During the visit, he alleged that farmers did not face such problems during the previous BRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao.
He claimed farmers were now struggling for urea, Rythu Bandhu assistance and irrigation water under the Congress government. According to him, farmers were also facing severe difficulties while selling harvested crops.
The BRS leader referred to comments made by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy regarding procurement operations. He said the minister had claimed that paddy procurement was progressing smoothly across Telangana.
However, Harish Rao alleged that farmers in Choutuppal were still waiting for officials to purchase paddy even after 24 days. He claimed several farmers were spending days near procurement centres in extreme summer conditions.
He further alleged that temperatures had touched 43 degrees Celsius in some areas, worsening the situation for farmers waiting beside paddy heaps.
Paddy procurement delays trigger farmer distress
Harish Rao questioned whether the state government was capable of handling procurement operations efficiently. He also asked Uttam Kumar Reddy to visit procurement centres personally and understand the difficulties faced by farmers.
The BRS leader referred to recent incidents linked to procurement delays and unseasonal rains. According to him, heavy rain caused a wall collapse in Mancherial district that killed farmers.
He also alleged that another farmer died near a paddy heap in Nalgonda district. Harish Rao criticised the government for organising farmer celebrations despite such incidents across the state.
Furthermore, he urged ministers and officials to speed up paddy procurement on a war footing to prevent further losses. He said the weather department had already issued warnings about unseasonal rain and possible storms in Telangana.
Harish Rao also demanded immediate action to protect paddy stocks lying in open procurement centres. He warned that delays in lifting grain could expose farmers to additional financial losses during adverse weather conditions.
