Hyderabad: TRS working president and Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday slammed the NDA government at the Centre by alleging that it does not have a comprehensive foodgrains procurement policy and suggested ‘one nation, one procurement policy.’
The Minister, in a press release, said the country with a population of 140 crore not having food security indicates the short-sightedness of the Centre.
He said as a result of the Centre’s pressure on States, paddy cultivation has decreased in about 95 lakh acres this season compared to the last rainy season.
It is gross failure of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of not having a comprehensive foodgrain procurement policy. The Centre needs to change its attitude and give priority to people’s welfare and food security. Telangana government has always been asking the Centre to implement ‘one nation, one procurement’ policy, he said.
He alleged that the country is facing foodgrains shortage due to the Centre’s intention of giving priority to politics rather than procuring foodgrains.
KTR suggested that the Central government keep politics aside and take decisions without discrimination.
He demanded the Union Minister for Food & Public Distribution Piyush Goyal to ensure food security by procuring entire foodgrains from States such as Telangana.
The TRS leader alleged that the Centre, which boasted of having enough wheat and rice reserves for four years, had to impose 20 per cent export duty to curb rice exports.
He said the danger of foodgrains shortage is imminent due to the discrimination in policies of the Modi government against Telangana farmers and the State.
He said that with the present crisis, it was made clear that the Modi government lacks a long-term plan for the foodgrains requirement.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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