TRS to protest against Centre's anti-farmer policies on Monday

Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao has once again decided to take the warpath and expose the BJP-led Union government’s anti-farmer policies as well as discrimination towards Telangana. The TRS cadre will stage State-wide protests on December 20 i.e. Monday, protesting against the Centre’s anti-farmer policies and demand the Centre to spell out its stance on paddy procurement from the State.

The TRS leaders will organise protests in all villages in all forms including demonstrations, rastarokos, rallies and burning the effigies of the Union government as well as BJP for their doublespeak. They have been directed to go to the people of Telangana in order to explain about the adverse impact of the Centre’s refusal to purchase paddy from Telangana and seek their support in the fight against the BJP-led Union government.

Chairing the TRS extended executive committee meeting at Telangana Bhavan here on Friday, Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao asked a delegation of six State Cabinet Ministers and 17 MPs belonging to TRS to head to New Delhi on Friday for taking up issues pertaining to the ongoing paddy procurement for Kharif season. The delegation will comprise Ministers S Niranjan Reddy, Gangula Kamalakar, V Prashanth Reddy, G Jagadish Reddy, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Puvvada Ajay Kumar along with TRS Parliamentary party leader K Keshava Rao, TRS Lok Sabha floor leader Nama Nageshwara Rao and other MPs.

hey have already sought appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal to explain the prevailing situation in Telangana State and request the Centre to clarify its stand on remaining paddy stocks for this season. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to purchase 40 lakh tonnes of rice i.e. approximately 60 lakh tonnes of paddy.

“But paddy production in the State would be nearly 1.3 crore



tonnes as it is being cultivated in around 62 lakh acres during Vaanakalam (Kharif) season. We have already procured more than 50 lakh tonnes and complete procurement of 60 lakh tonnes paddy in a couple of days. As the Union Ministers have been assuring that they would procure as much raw rice supplied by the State, we want to make another attempt and make them spell out their stance on the remaining stocks,” Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy told mediapersons after the TRS extended executive committee meeting here.

Further, the TRS meeting discussed extensively on various other issues including paddy procurement, cultivation of alternative crops, the party’s action plan on the Centre’s discrimination towards the State, implementation of Rythu Bandhu and Dalit Bandhu schemes, and also the party affairs. Chandrashekhar Rao informed that he had categorically rejected the proposals of the Agriculture department officials to discontinue Rythu Bandhu scheme to farmers who were cultivating paddy.

The Chief Minister asserted that as promised in the State Assembly, there would be no question of discontinuing or restricting the implementation of Rythu Bandhu scheme in the State as long as TRS remains in power. The discussion came up with the legislators as proposals were made. The Telangana government would not take any decision detrimental to the interests of farmers,” the Minister added.

Further, the TRS President asked the party elected representatives to motivate farmers to take up alternative crops and dispel the Opposition’s propaganda against Dalit Bandhu which would be implemented across the State in a phased manner. The legislators were asked to stay in contact with their constituents and serve them in a better manner. He assured to complete responsibility of getting them re-elected in the future elections as well, if they worked for people of the State.