hyderabad
Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has demanded that the State Government publish a White Paper on the procurement of all Rabi crops so far this year stating that not even 35% of the total paddy produced has been procured by now, despite the claims of 80% purchase by the Chief Minister and 50% by the Civil Supplies Minister.
“We were expecting that the government would review the paddy procurement status and the deaths of farmers at procurement centres due to delays,“ Mr. Rama Rao said, addressing a press conference here on Friday. He explained that over 10 farmers have died so far on the heaps of the produce due to heatwave conditions, heart attack and distress.
Giving details, he stated that Md. Naseeruddin had collapsed on his paddy heap at a procurement centre at Nakrekal in Nalgonda district, a Congress activist Ponnala Tirumalesh, who was waiting to sell his 200 bags of paddy at a procurement centre had staged a half-naked protest and farmers protested in Doultabad mandal of Kodangal constituency.
Four farmers died in Mancherial district, one Venkateshwarlu died at Nekkonda in Warangal district and Shravan Kumar ended life allegedly by consuming a pesticide at Kolcharam in Medak district.
The BRS leader pointed out that shortage of gunny sacks was forcing the farmers to buy bags on their own by sparing ₹25 to ₹35 per bag and paying waiting charges of ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 per day for tractors and lorries for delays in unloading paddy at procurement centres before its sale. He accused the government of wilfully delaying procurement so that farmers could resort to distress sale to traders at much lesser price compared to the support price.
Further, he stated that 6 kg to 8 kg was being deducted in every 100 kg of paddy in the name of chaff and other wastage. The farmers were also being made to take tarpaulin sheets on hire to protect/cover paddy from unseasonal rain at the procurement centres.
He demanded that the government procure discoloured and germinated paddy without any restrictions as the grain was damaged only due to delays in procurement. He stated that both the Chief Minister and Civil Supplies Minister were misleading farmers on procurement and demanded ₹25 lakh ex gratia payment each to all farmers who died due to delays in procurement.