BRS Leader Harish Rao Hits Out at Government Over Stalled Paddy Procurement

Harish Rao, the BRS deputy floor leader, launched a sharp critique of the state administration's handling of paddy procurement operations in Telangana on Thursday.

The opposition leader visited the agricultural market in Choutuppal to assess the situation firsthand and speak with farmers about the ongoing delays. During his visit, Rao contrasted the current state of affairs with the previous administration, asserting that cultivators experienced no such complications when the BRS government under K Chandrasekhar Rao was in power.

Under the current Congress administration, Rao alleged, farmers are grappling with multiple challenges including shortages of urea, delayed Rythu Bandhu payments, and inadequate irrigation water availability. Beyond these broader concerns, he highlighted the immediate difficulty farmers are encountering when attempting to sell their harvested produce.

The opposition leader took direct aim at Agriculture Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who had publicly stated that procurement was moving ahead without significant issues. Rao countered this claim by pointing out that farmers in the region were still awaiting government officials to collect their paddy even after a span of 24 days.

Compounding these procurement challenges, Rao emphasised the severe heat wave gripping the state, with temperatures soaring to 43 degrees Celsius. He questioned whether the minister possessed the administrative capacity to oversee procurement operations competently, and called on Reddy to visit procurement centres personally to witness the difficulties farmers face on the ground.

The BRS leader also drew attention to recent tragic incidents affecting the farming community. He referenced a wall collapse in Mancherial district during heavy rainfall that claimed farmers' lives, as well as a farmer death near a paddy heap in Nalgonda district. Despite these losses, Rao criticised the government for proceeding with farmer celebrations.

Rao demanded that the state accelerate procurement efforts with urgency, noting that weather forecasters have already issued warnings regarding unseasonal rainfall and potential storms in the coming period.