'Discriminatory Scheme': Telangana Cabinet Protests Against Centre's Crop Procurement Policy

The Delhi skies are coloured pink as the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TR) is in the national capital to protest against the Centre's crop procurement policy. The Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), is spearheading the agitation as his fellow state cabinet members are fighting for a uniform scheme to benefit the country's farmers.

Before this, the TRS workers have been holding protests against the procurement policy in their state alone before taking it to a national level. They claim that it does not heed the farmers' needs in Telangana, and its discriminatory features will adversely affect close to 61 lakh farmers in Telangana. Earlier, they blocked several national highways in the southern states due to the agitation.

Telangana Farmers 'Singled Out'

According to News 18, the Central government decided to procure raw rice from Telangana during the Rabi season. Recently, they refused to purchase parboiled rice from the state at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state government alleges that the Centre leaders instigated them to grow paddy, notably Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president, Bandi Sanjay Kumar. As a result, the land for growing parboiled rice reduced considerably. Close to 15 tonnes of the same was produced, compared to paddy being developed on 30 acres of land.

Senior TRS leader K Kavitha stated that the reduction would impact around 61 lakh farmers in Telangana. Not only that, she called the Central Government out for being discriminatory towards the Telangana farmers. "After we started harnessing river water in a better way, we have record-breaking production. And now the question is, how exactly does the Central Government plan to help the farmers in Telangana? They procure both Rabi and Kharif crops from Punjab farmers, but the same policy does not apply to Telangana?" she told The Hindu.

'One Nation, One Procurement'

Recently, Telangana raised this issue with Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal. The matter was discussed in numerous meetings, but nothing conclusive was devised. K Kavitha adds further, "These are not political decisions that can be made overnight, and it's a decision that will impact millions of farmers of the nation."

What started as a minor agitation has now taken a mammoth turn with the Delhi 'dharna'. Telangana MPs in the national capital and TRS members from the state have come together to fight for their farmers. This is the first time KCR's party protested against the Central policy since it came to power in 2014. With its protest, Telangana now demands a uniform 'one nation, one procurement' approach that will benefit all the farmers in India.

Along with KCR, minister KT Rama Rao has also joined the protest. Prominent farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait, has extended his support to Telangana and joined the protests in the city, standing firmly with the TRS government and asking for a uniform policy for crop procurement from the Indian farmers.

Also Read: 'Three Farm Laws To Be Revoked': Prime Minister Modi