Hyderabad: Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief K Kavitha launched a scathing attack on the state government on Friday, accusing it of showing a “cruel and indifferent” attitude towards the farming community. Speaking at a protest demonstration held in front of the secretariat, she alleged that distressed farmers were dying on their harvested grain heaps due to significant delays in procurement.
Protest and Police Action
Accompanied by TRS cadres, women, and local farmers, Kavitha staged a sit-in and poured paddy onto the road to highlight the government’s failure. The protesters raised slogans against the administration before the police intervened and took them into custody. Kavitha, along with several women and farmers, was shifted to the Falaknuma police station and later released.
Government Negligence Alleged
Lashing out at the government, Kavitha pointed out that the Chief Minister had not conducted a single review meeting on the agriculture department in the last two and a half years. She demanded that the government procure every single grain of paddy, jowar, and sunflower, and immediately grant ex-gratia compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives.
She further alleged that authorities were deliberately registering Grade-A paddy as Grade-B to avoid paying the promised bonus on fine-variety paddy. “The government must take immediate action to prevent farmers from being cheated by middlemen,” she said.
Warning of State-Wide Agitations
Kavitha warned that if the Chief Minister did not immediately review the agricultural crisis and open procurement centres, the TRS would launch intensive state-wide agitations across all districts starting Saturday. The protest underscores the growing frustration among farmers and opposition parties over the handling of the agricultural sector in Telangana.
