HYDERABAD

Working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has demanded that the Telangana Government publish a white paper on the procurement of all Rabi crops made this year so far. He alleged that not even 35% of the total paddy produced has been procured so far, though the Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy claimed 80% was procured.

“We were expecting that the government would hold a review meeting on the paddy procurement, on farmers who died while waiting at the procurement centres, on the heaps of the produce due to heatwave conditions, heart attack and distress”, he said addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Friday (May 21, 2026). He claimed that over 10 farmers have died so far.

Reiterating some details, he stated that Md. Naseeruddin had collapsed on his paddy heap at the procurement centre following heart failure at Nakrekal in Nalgonda district; four farmers died in Mancherial district, Venkateshwarlu in Nekkonda, Warangal, district and Shravan Kumar ended life due to long delay in procurement at Kolcharam in Medak district.

A Congress activist Ponnala Tirumalesh who was waiting for sale of 200 bags of paddy at a procurement centre for long staged a half-naked protest. Farmers protested in Doultabad mandal of Kodangal constitutency.

The BRS leader pointed out that shortage of gunny sacks forced the farmers to buy bags on their own by sparing ₹25 to ₹35 per bag, paying waiting charges of ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 per day for tractors and lorries for delays in unloading paddy at procurement centres. He accused the government of wilfully delaying procurement so that farmers could resort to distress sale at much lesser price.

Further, he noted that 6 kg to 8 kg was being deducted for every 100 kg of paddy in the name of chaff and other wastage. He asked the government to show 80% procurement anywhere and if that is proven, BRS would apologise openly. The farmers were also being made to take tarpaulin sheets on hire to protect paddy from unseasonal rains.

He demanded that the government procure discoloured and germinated paddy without any restrictions. He alleged that both the Chief Minister and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy were misleading farmers and people on procurement and demanded ₹25 lakh ex-gratia payment each to all farmers who died due to delays in procurement.

On the POCSO case registered against Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s son Bandi Bageerath, he sought to know who hid the accused for nine days.