Centre Turning Blind Eye towards Telangana Farmers Plight: Ponnam

Compared to other states, Telangana is facing severe injustice in paddy procurement. The Centre must immediately increase the paddy procurement target for Telangana, Backward Classes Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said here on Wednesday.

While Telangana's farmers are producing the highest amount of paddy in the country, it is unfortunate that the central government is showing discrimination against farmers by reducing procurement targets, he said.

The State government is working with a resolve to purchase every grain produced by the farmers. “In the 2025-26 Rabi (Yasangi) season so far, we have procured 67.03 lakh metric tonnes of paddy and directly credited Rs.12,375 crore into farmers' accounts benfitting over 10 lakh farmers,” he explained.

Even the 10,215 metric tonnes of wet paddy damaged by untimely rains have been procured by the government to ensure farmers do not suffer losses, and support prices have been paid.

“In an unprecedented manner in the state, we have set up 8,575 procurement centres and are ready to purchase every last grain that farmers bring. However, the expected support from the Centre has not come,” he said.

While the Yasangi crop in Telangana stands at 141 lakh metric tonnes, the Centre has set a procurement target of just 52 lakh tonnes—that is, only 37 percent. At the same time, allocating 86 percent to Punjab, 67 percent to Chhattisgarh, 65 percent to Haryana, and 52 percent to Odisha is evidence of the discrimination being meted out to Telangana.

While the previous government spent Rs.1.35 lakh crore on paddy procurement over ten years, the Praja government has spent Rs.84,000 crore for farmers in just two years. “Our government's commitment to farmer welfare is evident from this. The Centre announces the minimum support price and washes its hands of the matter, dumping the entire responsibility of procurement onto the states,” the Minister said.

“We have already credited Rs.1,172 crore into farmers' accounts by paying Rs.2,400 per quintal for maize. We procured jowar at Rs.3,699 per quintal and paid Rs.350 crore to farmers. But it is disheartening that the Centre has not contributed even a single rupee to this. For the benefit of Telangana's farmers, the central government must immediately lift the paddy ceiling and procure at least 70 percent of the paddy grown in the state,” he added.

“Our government is moving forward with a clear intent on the issue of the Tummidihetti Barrage, which is extremely crucial for the future of North Telangana's farmers,” Prabhakar said.

Despite writing multiple letters to the Maharashtra government for discussions, there has been no response so far. Even after Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy personally wrote letters to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, there has been no response.

If there is genuine intent towards Telangana, the state BJP leaders must put pressure on the Maharashtra government. With the BJP government in power in Maharashtra, why is there no advocacy for Telangana's interests? For the benefit of North Telangana's farmers, Maharashtra must be convinced to allow the construction of the Tummidihetti Barrage at a height of 152 meters.

“Our government is ready to hold immediate talks with Maharashtra for the farmers' benefit,” he added.