The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, which has decided to go all out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre with a view to counter the growth the party in the state, have now given an ultimatum to the Centre on paddy procurement issue.
On Saturday, the TRS ministers warned that their party would step up the agitation after Ugadi festival if the Centre does not come out with a policy on paddy procurement from the state.
The TRS ministers announced that they would take up agitations and protests would be staged across the State, if the Centre did not consider the State Government’s appeal to procure entire paddy produced in the Yasangi (Rabi) season.
State agriculture minister S Niranjan Reddy told reporters at Telangana Bhavan that till April 1, all the gram panchayats and other local bodies would pass resolutions appealing the Centre to procure the paddy and the same would be presented to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Similarly, TRS activists would also extend support to the strike called by different organizations on March 28 and 29, he said, adding the action plan for agitations and protests would be finalized depending on the Centre’s response to the state government’s appeals.
Taking serious exception to Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s comments on asking the Telangana Government to get people habituated to consuming broken rice, the agriculture minister said it amounted to insulting the Telangana people.
“This arrogance of BJP-led government would not last long. We shall try hard to pull down the BJP from power. We have confidence in the system that our issues will be addressed,” Niranjan Reddy said.
He said they would not rest till the Central government tender unconditional apology to the farmers of Telangana for the inconvenience caused to them.
State roads and buildings minister V Prashanth Reddy demanded that the Union minister Piyush Goyal withdraw his comments and apologize to Telangana people.
Lashing out at BJP State president Bandi Sanjay for misleading the farmers, the minister challenged him to exert pressure on the Centre to procure paddy from Telangana.
State civil supplies minister G Kamalakar said he had met the Union Minister five times regarding paddy procurement issue. Despite, writing 16 letters to the Centre on the issue, there was no response, he said.
