Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) members disrupted proceedings and staged a walkout from both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday after their demand to debate on the issue of paddy procurement was turned down in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
As soon as the House commenced, TRS Lok Sabha members moved an adjournment motion seeking debate on paddy procurement. They said not only farmers in Telangana but also in a few other states like Odisha were suffering due to the decision of the Centre not to procure boiled rice from states.
Holding placards, the TRS members raised slogans demanding a uniform national procurement policy. They disrupted the proceedings forcing the speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till noon.
In Rajya Sabha, TRS member K.R. Suresh Reddy raised this issue. He alleged that the Centre was discriminating Telangana in paddy procurement and this needs to be discussed in the House immediately.
TRS floor leader in Lok Sabha Nama Nageswara Rao said paddy was sown in nearly 35 lakh acres in Telangana in the ongoing rabi which had reached harvest stage. About 70 lakh tonnes of paddy was expected to come to market yards very soon and the farmers were a worried lot due to the statements being given by the Centre that it would not procure boiled rice from states, he said. “Boiled rice is produced from paddy cultivated in Telangana in rabi and if the Centre doesn't procure, it would push lakhs of farmers in Telangana into financial crisis,” added.
