Hyderabad: Bharat Rahstra Samithi (BRS) MLA T Harish Rao on Tuesday, November 18 accused the Centre and Telangana government of making lives of farmers in the state miserable.
“Cotton farmers, who were already distressed due to the floods, were troubled by Cotton Corporation of India’s (CCI) Tughlaq -like decisions,” Rao added.
He further said that with L1, L2, L3 categorisation of ginning mills, the rule of 8 to 12 percent moisture and lack of monitoring by CCI cotton farmers were not able to get minimum support price to the produce.
The Siddipet MLA, along with BRS senior leaders S Madhusudhana Chary, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Thatikonda Rajaiah, Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar, Satyavathi Rathod and others, visited the Enumamula Agriculture Market in Warangal on Tuesday in the wake of a strike by ginning mills.
He interacted with farmers learning about their plight.
Addressing the media, he complained that the support price for cotton was Rs 8,100 per quintal, but farmers were forced to sell it for Rs 6,000 to private traders due to conditions imposed by the CCI.
Rao stated that due to such decisions, farmers are losing Rs 2,000 per quintal. He further accused the Centre and Telangana governments of failing to act.
“As the ginning mills across the State have been closed the cotton farmers were in a state of confusion and selling cotton to middlemen at throwaway prices. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who has gone to Delhi 60 times, failed to ask the Centre to address the problems of cotton farmers,” the former Telangana finance minister said.
He asked as to why has the chief minister, who claims to have good relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not asked the PM to support cotton farmers? “Revanth Reddy, who spent money indiscriminately to win the Jubilee Hills bye-elections, was unable to provide the minimum support price to cotton farmers,” Rao said.
“The crop yield has decreased due to untimely rains. All the crops have been damaged. Farmers were resorting to suicides as they could not get back even the investments they have made on the cultivation. Yet the Congress government remained inactive,” the BRS MLA said.
He demanded that the Centre immediately withdraw the L1, L2, L3 categorisation of ginning mills, review the rule of 8 to 12 percent moisture content and cancel the condition of Kisan Kapa App registration and to buy 12 quintals of cotton per acre as was done previously.
Hitting out at the BJP MPs in Telangana, Rao said that even though there were eight MPs in Telangana, they failed to represent the issues of farmers. “Except for criticising the BRS and its chief K Chandrashekhar Rao, BJP MPs have done nothing,” Rao remarked.
“The BJP government has waived off lakhs of crores for big industrialists. However, it lacks concern towards the poor farming community. By lifting the 11 percent import duty on cotton the Centre has caused irreversible damage to cotton farmers in the country,” Rao alleged.
Rao claimed that In Congress government’s tenure, as many as 406 farmers died by suicide in Telangana. In addition to that, lathi charges against farmers have increased.
Revanth Reddy who was celebrating his two years in power, should explain why whether he was celebrating for the problems he caused to farmers or for making farmers stand in long queues for days together for urea bags, the former minister sought to know.
KTR meets farmers, flays Centre, Telangana govt for ‘ignoring’ their pleas
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao, accompanied by senior party leaders, on Tuesday visited Adilabad district to understand the “hardships” faced by farmers, particularly those cultivating cotton and soybean.
During his visit to the Adilabad Market Yard, K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) interacted with several farmers who expressed deep distress over the ongoing procurement crisis.
According to BRS, the farmers alleged that both the Central and State governments have completely ignored their pleas and failed to provide any form of support.
Farmers complained that despite Congress promising major relief for the agriculture sector, the government has not honoured any assurances. Even basic assistance required to sell their harvested crops has not been provided.
After meeting farmers, KTR addressed the media and questioned the State government’s intentions. “If there is no problem for farmers, why is the Adilabad Market Yard shut today? Why did the government obstruct our visit to meet farmers?” he asked.
He condemned the severe decline in cotton and soybean procurement systems, stating that such a situation has never been witnessed in history.
KTR criticised the ‘Kisan Kapas Mobile App’, pointing out that many farmers do not own smartphones and several regions in Adilabad still lack proper mobile network connectivity.
KTR highlighted that due to unseasonal rain and extreme cold, the moisture content in cotton has naturally increased.
He recalled that during the previous BRS government, even cotton with 20–22 per cent moisture was procured after mounting pressure on the Centre.
“But today, they refuse to buy even at 12 per cent moisture. Farmers are left with no option and are being pushed to despair,” he said.
He stated that not even one lakh quintals of cotton have been procured so far. KTR alleged that the government appears to be colluding with private traders to exploit farmers.
The BRS leader criticised the arbitrary rule limiting cotton procurement to only 7 quintals per acre, despite Adilabad’s fertile lands producing 10–15 quintals per acre. “Where should farmers sell the remaining produce?” he questioned.
He slammed the State government for indulging in “political drama”, claiming that they scheduled a video conference with the Centre only because BRS leaders were visiting the farmers.
He also pointed out that the recent Cabinet meeting failed to discuss the cotton crisis affecting more than half of Telangana’s districts.
KTR further blamed the Congress government for the crisis across every stage of agriculture – power supply, fertiliser distribution, and now crop procurement.
He also attacked the BJP-led Central government for allowing cotton imports and removing import duties, thereby damaging domestic farmers’ prospects.
The BRS leader warned that without mounting pressure on the Centre, the State government cannot resolve the crisis. “Protests are the only way forward. BRS will stand firmly with farmers,” he declared.
KTR demanded immediate withdrawal of the fingerprint requirement, 12 per cent moisture restriction, and the 7-quintal-per-acre rule.
He insisted that cotton must be procured even without the Kisan Kapas app and called for compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for all farmers affected by heavy rain.
He urged local BJP and Congress leaders, MPs, and Union Ministers from Telangana to exert pressure on the Centre to ensure “justice” for farmers.
KTR appealed to farmers to participate in the National Highways Blockade scheduled for November 21, organised jointly by farmer unions and various political parties in Adilabad.
With inputs from IANS
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