Telangana Minister Blames Centre for Fuel Price Burden on Farmers

Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has launched a sharp critique of the Central government, charging that it is placing an unsustainable financial burden on farmers and ordinary citizens by repeatedly hiking fuel prices.

The minister targeted the BJP's "Rythu Gosa – BJP Bharosa" bus yatra campaign, characterising it as a political manoeuvre designed to deflect public attention from substantive policy failures. He contended that if the Centre genuinely prioritised farmer welfare, it would move to bring down petrol and diesel costs.

According to Prabhakar, escalating fuel expenses have significantly driven up the costs associated with farming operations. The rising price of diesel has made tractors, irrigation systems, and logistics considerably more expensive for cultivators throughout Telangana. Despite their electoral rhetoric about supporting agriculture, BJP leaders have conspicuously avoided engaging with the fuel price question, the minister alleged.

Prabhakar also raised concerns about procurement shortfalls, asserting that the Union government has not extended adequate cooperation on paddy procurement targets. He claimed the Centre has failed to sanction necessary approvals for boiled rice and levy rice procurement schemes.

The Centre has authorised procurement of just 53.73 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, Prabhakar noted, whereas the Telangana government has set an ambitious target of 75 lakh metric tonnes to shield farmers from financial losses. To facilitate this effort, the state has established 8,575 procurement centres and distributed 21 crore gunny bags at farm level.

To date, Telangana has procured 51 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, with the state government channelling Rs 8,749 crore as minimum support price payments directly into farmers' accounts, according to the minister.

Prabhakar further accused the BJP of reneging on pre-election commitments to the farming community, pointing to unfulfilled pledges regarding income doubling schemes and pensions for senior farmers. He also criticised the meagre increase in minimum support price for maize—a mere Rs 10 per quintal—and demanded the Union government offer an apology for this inadequacy.

The minister characterised the Centre's approach as fundamentally anti-farmer and called on cultivators to hold BJP representatives accountable on both procurement and fuel pricing matters. The Telangana government remains committed to supporting farmers, Prabhakar asserted, while demanding immediate action from Delhi to slash fuel prices and ensure full procurement of Telangana's agricultural output.