Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called for a strike on Tuesday, 16 November, against the central government’s failure in paddy procurement.
Rao announced after presiding over a meeting of TRS legislators that all ministers, state legislators, members of parliament and other elected representatives of the ruling party will stage a dharna at Indira Park in Hyderabad on 18 November.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao wrote, “Food Corporation of India (FCI) which has the mandate of ensuring food security for the people by maintaining the buffer stocks and supplying rice and wheat through the public distribution system, is following certain policies which are creating confusion in the minds of farmers and as well as the state governments.”
Rao listed the confusing policies as such:
The target for procurement is not fixed for the entire year in one go.
Even though the production is increasing year by year, the procurement is not keeping pace.
Explaining how the above policies make it difficult for the states to plan an appropriate cropping pattern, Rao gave an instance. “Even though the production of rice in Telangana during Kharif 2021 was 55.75 lakh metric tons (MT) the procurement was only 32.6 LMT which is 59 percent of the production,” he said.
Telangana CM further stated that to clear these confusions he met Union Minister for Food and Public distribution Piyush Goyal on 25 and 26 September this year.
He claimed that it’s been 50 days since they met but no policy decision has been taken or communicated to the state government.
Rao has further made the following demands:
Complete the procurement of the balance 5 LMT rice produced in rabi 2020-21.
To enhance the target beyond 40 LMT for procurement of rice during the ongoing kharif 2021-22 to 90 percent of the production as done in the Punjab.
To confirm the target of procurement of rice from Telangana during ensuing rabi season.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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