Centre must announce comprehensive agriculture policy: Niranjan Reddy

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy demanded that the Centre clarify its stance on paddy procurement and announce its agricultural policy, failing which it has to pay a hefty price. He said no government which has cheated farmers in the country, had never remained in power for long. He slammed the BJP State leaders for making statements contradictory to the Centre.

“The Union government must put an end to this confusion and publicly announce, if it is not willing to purchase paraboiled rice. A decision must be taken before the farmers’ protests intensify,” he said. He stated that the Centre must update its policies frequently as per the changing needs. He demanded that the Central government consult the experts and agricultural scientists to prepare a comprehensive crop policy including crop rotation and paddy procurement policies immediately. He pointed out that the Centre does not have a mechanism to monitor crops being cultivated in different States.

Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan here on Saturday, Niranjan Reddy said the Farm Laws are posing a threat to the future of farmers. He felt that they should not be allowed to get implemented under any circumstances. He alleged that the Congress had laid the foundation for the new Farm Laws which was evident from its poll manifestos and the Modi government had implemented them in favour of corporate companies.

He thanked the farmers for making Rythu Maha Garjana organised by TRS on Friday, a grand success and urged them to support the party in its fight against the Centre’s discrimination. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao will soon chair a meeting with the TRS MLAs, MLCs and MPs on the farmers’ issues soon. The State Cabinet is also likely to take up the issue on a priority basis.

Out of the 138 crore population of the country, around 22 crore people do not have adequate food. “The Centre can distribute the available rice stocks among these poor people. How come the Union government has enough funds to waive off loans and taxes pertaining to the corporate companies, but not for procuring food grains from farmers?” Niranjan Reddy questioned.

The Agriculture Minister said the State government has been encouraging farmers to cultivate alternative crops and making efforts to increase palm oil production, while the Union government is spending Rs 80,000 crore for importing cooking oils. “What stopped the Centre from taking measures to increase oil seed cultivation in the country? The government must announce incentives for crop rotation as part of its crop policy,” he demanded.

He lamented that all the systems were controlled by the Union government, which was causing more troubles to farmers without exploring new avenues. He reminded that the Centre had suspended the five per cent incentive for exporting agricultural produce from the country. He pointed out that the Union government has confirmed the State government’s report that about 62 lakh acres were under cultivation in Telangana State during the Vaankalam season. The statistics were estimated using sophisticated methods.

On the BJP State leaders criticising the State Cabinet members staging protests during Rythu Maha Dharna, Niranjan Reddy reminded that as the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi staged a 51-hour-long protest. He stated that the Rythu Maha Dharna was not a political protest, but a means to protest the injustice towards farmers.

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