Nalgonda: Revenue and housing minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Thursday criticised the previous BRS government for trying to restrict paddy cultivation and asserted that it has no moral right to question the agricultural policies of the current Congress-led government.
Speaking after inaugurating an IKP paddy procurement centre at Nayakangudem in Kusumanchi mandal of Khammam district, the minister said that the BRS government had tried to dictate crop patterns to farmers and failed to deliver on key promises. “The previous chief minister, K. Chandrashekhar Rao, went so far as to say that cultivating paddy was akin to farmers hanging themselves. That government also failed to fulfil its crop loan waiver promise during its 10-year tenure,” he stated.
Srinivas Reddy assured that the Congress government will continue operating paddy procurement centres until the last grain is procured from farmers. He said increased paddy production in the state is a result of improved irrigation facilities, and the government is committed to extending irrigation to all cultivable lands.
Highlighting the Congress government’s flagship initiatives under Indiramma Rajyam, the minister said ₹20,687 crore in crop loans have already been waived, benefitting over 25.65 lakh farmers. He also pointed out that Telangana is the first state in the country to provide a ₹500 bonus per quintal for premium variety paddy in addition to the Minimum Support Price (MSP). A total of ₹1,700 crore in bonus was paid to farmers for the monsoon crop season.
He assured that farmers should not worry about the ongoing Yasangi (Rabi) season, as the government will procure paddy through designated centres. He cautioned farmers against false propaganda by Opposition parties and urged them to sell their produce only at official procurement centres to receive full benefits.
The minister also said that pending Rythu Bharosa payments will soon be credited to farmers’ bank accounts.
Additional district collector P. Srinivas Reddy and district civil supplies officer Chandan Kumar were present at the event.
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