Centre evading responsibility on paddy procurement: Uttam

Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday alleged that the Centre’s approach towards paddy procurement reflected scant concern for farmers, despite Telangana handling one of the country’s largest grain procurement operations.During an informal interaction with media persons, Uttam said the state govt was procuring paddy on a scale unmatched by most BJP-ruled states. However, he alleged that the Centre was failing to discharge its responsibility towards farmers. Telangana had already procured nearly 54 lakh MT of paddy and was targeting procurement of around 70 lakh MT during the ongoing Yasangi season, with 8,575 procurement centres opened across state, Uttam said.“The entire paddy procured by the state must be lifted by the Centre at the already announced MSP. The Union govt cannot evade its responsibility after announcing MSP,” the minister claimed. Accusing BJP leaders of indulging in political criticism while ignoring ground realities, Uttam said Telangana was purchasing more paddy than several BJP-governed states put together.Uttam also slammed the BRS leaders, stating that they should first examine how much procurement happened during their ten-year rule. He claimed that, even compared to previous BRS govt’s tenure, the Congress govt had procured more paddy and ensured faster payments to farmers. He also highlighted the financial burden being borne by the state govt due to delays and gaps in Central support.Uttam said Telangana had already spent nearly Rs 9,000 crore towards procurement payments this season by the end of May and the expenditure would cross Rs 11,500 crore if MSP-linked dues were fully accounted for.