TRS delegation urges Governor to impress upon the Union Government to procure paddy

The TRS delegation urged Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to impress upon the Union government to direct the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure paddy from Telangana State. In a memorandum submitted to her, TRS leaders requested the Governor to take up the issue as a priority and save the farmers from agony and suffering losses.

The delegation comprising Ministers KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, S Niranjan Reddy, Mohd Mahmood Ali, A Indrakaran Reddy, V Srinivas Goud, P Sabitha Indra Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod, Koppula Eeshwar, Puvvada Ajay and others called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan on Thursday. Earlier, the TRS led by the party president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao staged a protest at Indira Park, demanding the Centre to clarify its paddy procurement policy.

In the memorandum, the TRS delegation informed Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan that harvesting of paddy, being cultivated in



about 62.13 lakh acres in Kharif (Vaanakalam) 2021-22 crop season, has started across Telangana and farmers were also gearing up for sowing paddy crop in the upcoming Rabi (Yasangi) season. “Therefore, there is an urgent need to declare to the farmers whether FCI will procure the rice from Telangana in Rabi 2021-22 season and to what extent,” the TRS leaders said.

The State government has urged the Centre to complete the procurement of balance 5 lakh tonnes rice produced in Rabi 2020-21, enhance paddy procurement target from 40 lakh tonnes to 90 per cent of production as was done in Punjab in Kharif 2021-22, and also confirm the procurement target during ensuing Rabi 2021-22 season. The Ministers informed the Governor that due to the prevailing circumstances, they were left with no option but to stage a protest in order to protect the interests of farmers in the State.