BJP’s Gudur demands the CM Expedite the procurement of paddy

Hyderabad, May 16: Bharatiya Janata Party state senior leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Tuesday demanded the state government to speed up procurement of paddy and also protect the farmers from the loot of rice millers and market agents. 
In a media statement, he said that due to paddy procurement by the state government, the farmers were forced to sell their produce to the millers who are looting them in broad day light and losing minimum support price advantage. 
“The millers have been pillaging the farmers in the name of moisture and wastage. They have been giving A grade rate if the farmers toe their line or giving B grade rate,” he said. 
The BJP leader said that the millers have been purchasing the paddy at Rs 2040 per quintal if the farmers agree to their conditions and if not paying Rs 1800 per quintal, which was nothing but daylight robbery. 
He said that already the farmers have suffered heavy unseasonal rains and brought the produce the purchasing points with great difficulty. Nearly 50,000 bags of paddy was washed away in the market yards and procurement centers due to unseasonal rains. 
In few market yards the grain was soaked in the rain water and lost the quality. The market agents have been reducing the rate for the paddy in the name of high moisture content. 
Narayana Reddy said that even though more than one and half month has gone by since the harvesting season was over, the government is dragging its feet on purchasing the paddy, leaving the farmers to the mercy of the millers and market agents. 
“The Chief Minister had directed the officials to open 7000 purchase centers in the state and to procure all the grain. But even 35 days after the announcement only 23 lakh tons have been purchased. This year the estimated yield of paddy is about 80 lakh metric tons. It means that the government has purchased only 25 per cent of the paddy so far,” he said. 
He said that while the government was supposed to purchase at least one lakh tons every day the actual procurement was far less than that. The farmers have been forced to wait for days together at the mills and procurement centers.
He said that every year the procurement of paddy has been reminding an endless saga, as the government is delaying the procurement for weeks and months together. “It seems that leaders of the state government are in hand in glove with the millers and market agents. By delaying the purchase, the government is forcing the farmers to sell their product to the millers at throw away price,” he lamented. 
The BJP leader urged the Chief Minister act upon the issue on war footing and direct the concerned officials to speed up the procurement through the state government’s procurement centers, so that the farmers get minimum support price. 
He asked the Chief Minister to discuss this issue on priority at the meeting of the MPs and MLAs of BRS to be held on Wednesday.  
He said that if the Chief Minister was not interested in procurement process, it is well and good. But if the CM was really concerned about the well being of the farmers, he should ensure completion of procurement at the earliest.