Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, G Kishan Reddy, criticized the State government and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for not helping farmers who have suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rains. Reddy said that while farmers in Telangana are left to their fate, the Chief Minister is making tall claims about improving their lives in neighboring Maharashtra. The Central subsidy to farmers is more than the subsidy given by the Chief Minister under Rythu Bandhu in the State. The Centre provides Rs 18,254 per acre per farmer annually on fertilizer subsidy, without increasing the burden on farmers even when fertilizer prices rise internationally. However, CM KCR has failed to deliver on his promise to provide free fertilizers and has cheated farmers.
Reddy said the Centre gives subsidies on tractors, agriculture implements, and procurement of paddy. However, BRS leaders and their supporters snatched away subsidies in several mandals of the state. The State government has not fulfilled its commitment to supplying rice under the procurement target agreed with the Centre for the agriculture seasons of Kharif and Rabi of 2021-22 despite several extensions. Officials from every state in the country attend meetings convened by the Centre to finalize procurement, but only officials from Telangana do not attend such meetings.
Reddy said that while CM KCR talks about doing great things for farmers, he had no time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to the State to inaugurate the Ramagundam Fertilizers factory revived with Rs 6,180 crore.
