Hyderabad: Telangana BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind on Friday demanded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy resign if his government was unable to procure the entire estimated paddy produced and delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI). He alleged that despite repeated claims by the Congress government, Telangana had fallen short of procuring nearly 35 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy over the past two years.
Allegations of Procurement Failure
Addressing a media conference at the BJP headquarters, Arvind stated that the chief minister had no moral right to blame the Centre for procurement issues if the state government failed to complete procurement operations efficiently. “The Centre or FCI will not arbitrarily decide how much paddy is to be procured; it is based on dialogue with the state government and after arriving at estimates. If he cannot complete the job, let the Centre take over the reins in the form of President’s Rule. Telangana was supposed to give to FCI 140 LMT of paddy, but fell well short of the estimates given,” he said.
Criticism of CM's Remarks
Arvind criticised Revanth Reddy’s remarks on dumping paddy in front of BJP leaders’ residences and termed them irresponsible. He said it was the responsibility of the government to establish procurement centres well before harvesting began and ensure farmers did not face inconvenience in selling their produce. Instead of resolving the problems, the Congress government was attempting to shift the blame onto the Union government, he alleged.
Transportation Constraints Questioned
Questioning the claim of transportation constraints, Arvind asked how tractors and lorries were readily available for the transport of sand and other materials but were allegedly unavailable for moving farmers’ paddy. He emphasised that the state government must take full responsibility for the procurement process and ensure that farmers receive fair prices for their produce.
