Union Minister and Telangana unit BJP president G. Kishan Reddy on Wednesday accused the A. Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in the state of deceiving farmers.
Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the Congress government had failed to fulfil the promises made during Assembly elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy was one of the promises and Congress has failed to honour even this promise.
He lashed out at the government for putting a rider that Rs 500 bonus will be paid for only fine varieties of paddy.
He wondered how the government could impose such a rider despite the fact that more than 80 per cent of farmers in the state grow coarse varieties of paddy. G. Kishan Reddy recalled that the Congress had promised to waive farmers’ loans of up to Rs 2 lakh on December 9 on the birthday of Sonia Gandhi but failed to implement it.
“Now the Chief Minister is saying that farm loans will be waived off by August 15. Who will believe this?” he asked.
He said the Congress had promised that all six guarantees will be implemented within 100 days after coming to power but not even one guarantee was fulfilled in six months.
The Union Minister pointed out that Congress had also promised annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre to farmers under Rythu Bharosa.
It had also given the guarantee of Rs 12,000 assistance each to agriculture labourers every year.
G. Kishan Reddy claimed that the Centre was ready to procure coarse varieties of rice and asked the state government what its problem was in procuring the same. He alleged that the state government has failed to procure paddy from farmers though the Centre has made an agreement to procure paddy in huge quantities during the current Rabi season.
The BJP leader claimed that authorities were delaying procurement at the procurement centres, which resulted in the produce getting damaged in rains, causing losses to farmers.