Hyderabad: Former minister T Harish Rao has accused the Congress government in Telangana of systematically undermining the state's farming community through inconsistent policies and anti-farmer decisions. He condemned Thursday's state cabinet decision to limit paddy procurement to quotas fixed by the Centre, calling it a betrayal of farmers.
Harish Rao questions Chief Minister's stance
Harish Rao questioned why Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who once criticized governments for failing to procure crops, is now citing the Centre as an excuse to avoid procurement responsibilities. “If the government refuses to purchase farmers’ produce, what are farmers expected to do with their harvested crop?” he asked. He added that imposing procurement limits in the name of central quotas would leave farmers at the mercy of private traders and market forces.
Crop bonus eligibility restrictions
The BRS leader criticized the government’s decision to restrict crop bonus eligibility to only seven fine varieties of paddy, calling it an attempt to dictate cultivation choices to farmers. He said farmers who trusted government advice and shifted to crops such as maize, sorghum, sunflower, and Bengal gram are already facing severe losses.
Harish Rao, who serves as the BRS deputy floor leader, said that after reducing the scope of crop bonus payments during the recent agriculture department review meeting, the government has now effectively withdrawn from paddy procurement by introducing restrictions under the guise of a “digital cabinet” decision. He noted that only a fraction of sunflower production was procured, leaving large quantities unsold. Similarly, Bengal gram farmers were forced to sell their produce far below the Minimum Support Price due to the absence of government procurement. Sorghum farmers, he said, were also suffering losses because procurement centres were not established despite the existence of a notified MSP.
Warning of deeper distress
Harish Rao warned that imposing similar restrictions on paddy procurement would push Telangana’s farming community into deeper distress. He demanded that the government immediately release the pending Rythu Bharosa dues from the previous three installments along with assistance for the current Kharif season. He stated that a total of ₹16,545 crore remains pending and urged the government to deposit the amount directly into farmers’ bank accounts by June 30 at the proposed Madhira public meeting.
The former minister's remarks come amid growing concerns over agricultural policies in Telangana, with farmers facing uncertainty over crop procurement and support prices.
