Telangana paddy row: KTR accuses Centre of trying to 'hoodwink' farmers

Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday attacked the central government over paddy procurement from the farmers of the state saying that it is trying to "hoodwink" people and is engaged in "doublespeak".

He further claimed that Union Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Piyush Goyal has "misled" the entire country on April 1, 2022, because he "categorically" said the Centre refuses to buy the parboiled rice from Telangana farmers as there is no demand for it.

However, Rao informed that Union Minister G Kishan Reddy in December last year said the rabi crop will be procured by the Centre through FCI like last several decades.

"The Centre is trying to hoodwink people, especially farmers, of Telangana. On December 1, 2021, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said that the Rabi crop, irrespective of whether it's parboiled rice or raw rice, will be procured by the Centre through FCI like last several decades," KTR told ANI.

He also said, "Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Piyush Goyal misled not only the House on April 1, 2022, but also the entire country because he categorically said in the House that there's no demand for parboiled rice in the world or in the country, so Government of India refuses to buy it."

The minister stated that the Telangana government tried to convince the farmers not to go for paddy in Rabi crops as the Centre refused to procure it last year.

"When Government said the last year that they won't procure parboiled rice, we tried to explain to Telangana farmers to not go for paddy in Rabi crops," he added.

Slamming the Centre for being doublespeak on the subject, KTR raised questions on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led ruling government.

"But when local BJP leaders and Union Minister Reddy said that they will procure it and ignore what the State Government is telling them, farmers harvested paddy once again this year on 35 lakh acres of land. Who will take responsibility? 'Dilli wali BJP' or the silly BJP in Telangana?" the minister said.

Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has organized a five-pronged protest against the Centre's stance on paddy procurement from Telangana that began on April 4 and will conclude on April 11.

( With inputs from ANI )

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