Rakesh Tikait joins TRS protest at Telangana Bhavan on paddy procurement issue

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday joined the ongoing protest by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at the Telangana Bhavan against the alleged "discriminatory policy" of procurement of foodgrains.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is leading the protest, and he's joined by the TRS leaders.

Speaking to the media, TRS MLC K Kavitha, daughter of the Telangana Chief Minister, urged the Centre to procure the crop and demanded a common procurement policy for the country.

"Our farmers are not getting the right price. We request the Central government to procure paddy from our state. We demand a common procurement policy. Rakesh Tikait has earlier also talked to CM K Chandrashekar Rao over agricultural issues and he has come here to support us," Kavitha said.

The TRS MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other elected representatives are taking part in the "dharna" while raising claims that the "Centre's policy is discriminatory towards Telangana farmers".

Recently, the TRS workers had blocked four National Highways in Telangana to press their demand for a "uniform" procurement policy in the country. The party decided to protest in Delhi in their bid to raise the issue at the national level.

Earlier on Sunday, addressing the media, Kavitha said that the food security of the country will be endangered if there is no 'uniform procurement' policy by the Centre.

On March 24, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal assured farmers of Telangana that there is absolutely no discrimination among the farmers from different states and added that some politicians in Telangana are misleading the farmers in the state.

The Telangana government has been pressing the Centre for the procurement of the entire paddy produced in the state. Last year, a delegation of Ministers from the state had even met union Ministers to make a clear announcement on paddy procurement, including the quantity.

( With inputs from ANI )

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