Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, has alleged that the Telangana government has adopted delaying tactics for procuring paddy to avoid paying ‘bonus’ to farmers. Addressing the media after visiting the paddy procurement centre in the Kothagattu village of Karimnagar district, he asked the state government whether it would scapegoat farmers to get commissions from brokers. He said the Centre is giving the money for procuring paddy, including ‘interest’ and is bearing the entire cost of paddy procurement.

 

 

The Minister further alleged that the Congress government in Telangana has failed to open procurement centres in some places. Mr. Sanjay demanded the government reveal how much paddy it procured so far and how much money it gave to farmers during the past 40 days. He alleged that against the procurement target of 20 lakh tonne of paddy, the government procured only about 95 thousand tonne of paddy by the 5th of this month and paid only about six and a half crore rupees to farmers against the target of over 220 crore rupees.