Harish: CM Ignored Promises to Farmers

Harish Rao, who inaugurated a maize procurement centre at the Siddipet market yard on Wednesday, said the government was opening procurement centres reluctantly and only after repeated requests. “We demand that the restrictions on maize procurement be lifted and that the government procure the entire harvested crop,” he said.

He alleged that the Congress government’s promise to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for every grain and a bonus for every crop had not been fulfilled. “The government promised loan waivers but completed only half of them and ignored the rest. It also claimed that Rythu Bandhu would be extended for both crop seasons but ended up cutting it for two seasons,” he said. “CM Revanth Reddy’s governance is all about doing half and halting half, nothing is done completely,” he added.

Harish Rao demanded that the remaining loan waiver be completed immediately and bonuses given for all crops. He urged the government to ensure that every grain produced by farmers is purchased.

He said the delay in opening procurement centres had already led to 14,000 quintals of maize in the Siddipet market yard being sold to middlemen. “Due to the delay, farmers were forced to sell their produce at ₹1,600 per quintal, below the MSP,” he said.

Criticising a new rule that limits procurement to 18 quintals per acre, he said, “If a farmer produces 25 to 30 quintals per acre and the government buys only 18, the remaining stock will go to middlemen.”