TRS warns of launching a severe agitation on Paddy issue after Ugadi

Telangana Ministers warned that after Ugadi festival, severe agitations and protests would be staged across the State, if the Centre did not consider the State Government’s appeal to procure entire paddy produced in the Yasangi season.

Till April 1, all the Gram Panchayats and other local bodies would pass resolutions appealing the Centre to procure the paddy and the same would be presented to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said while addressing media persons at Telangana Bhavan here on Saturday.

Similarly, TRS activists would also extend support to the strike called by different organizations on March 28 and 29, he said, adding the action plan for agitations and protests would be finalized depending on the Centre’s response to the State Government’s appeals.

Taking serious exception to Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s comments on asking the Telangana Government to get people habituated to consuming broken rice, the Agriculture Minister said it was humiliation to Telangana people.

“This arrogance of BJP-led Government will not last long. Being in power is not guaranteed. We have confidence in the system that our issues will be addressed, said Niranjan Reddy.

The day was not far when the Central Government would extend unconditional apology to Telangana farmers for the inconvenience caused to them, as it did to the farmers in the north, the Minister said.

Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy said BJP leaders should refrain from making comments that hurt Telangana people’s self respect.

“We demand that the Union Minister Piyush Goyal withdraw his comments and apologize to Telangana people,” Prashanth Reddy said.

Former



Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had announced that not a single rupee would be allocated to Telangana, had lost significance, BJP leaders would also meet similar feat, if they continued to humiliate Telangana people and farmers, in particular, said the Minister.

Lashing out at BJP State president Bandi Sanjay for misleading the farmers, the Minister challenged him to exert pressure on the Centre to procure paddy from Telangana.

The BJP State president does not have clarity and commitment. In the past, he had promised the farmers that he would take the initiative of making the Centre procure entire paddy produced by farmers in the State. In contrast to earlier statements, the same BJP president demanded the State Government to procure the paddy produced by farmers, the Minister said while playing video clips of Bandi Sanjay statements, in his mobile.

Civil Supplies Minister G Kamalakar said he had met the Union Minister five times regarding paddy procurement issue. Despite, writing 16 letters to the Centre on the issue, there was no response, he said.

Countering Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy’s comments that State officials had not participated in the Civil Supplies meetings on February 25 and March 8 on paddy procurement issue, the Minister asked the Union Minister to check the Civil Supplies department’s official statement on the meeting proceedings.

Unfortunately, the Union Tourism Minister does not take up Telangana farmers’ issue with the Centre. Despite Union Minister Piyush Goyal calling the Union Tourism Minister to participate in the Telangana Ministers meeting in New Delhi, he did not turn up. This shows his commitment towards the farming community in the State, said Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar.