BRS criticises govt. decision to pay bonus to only fine varieties of paddy

BRS criticizes Congress for betraying farmers by limiting ₹500 bonus to fine paddy varieties, breaking pre-election promises.

Going all out against the Congress government on the issue of ₹500 bonus per quintal of paddy, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has termed the Cabinet decision to give it only to fine varieties from the next crop season as “one more betrayal in the growing list of pre-poll promises on which Congress is turning its back”.

Working president of the party K.T. Rama Rao took to a social media platform early on Tuesday to question the ruling party whether it had announced in its guarantee card that it would give bonus to only fine varieties of paddy. He pointed out that the guarantee card had only mentioned “bonus of ₹500 per quintal to paddy”. By going back on its promise partially, the Congress was proving to be anti-farmer as 80% of paddy cultivated in the State was of common varieties.

First, the government had denied available water for irrigation, later power cuts to the farm sector had hit the standing crops at crucial stages and now it was allowing the harvested paddy to get soaked in the rain due to delayed/slow procurement when untimely/early monsoon rains continue to lash the State. He criticised the government on disbursal of Rythu Bharosa of ₹15,000 per acre to farmers and tenants, ₹12,000 to farmworkers and ₹2 lakh crop loan waiver.

Later, senior leader of the party T. Harish Rao along with others said the decision to give bonus only to fine varieties of paddy against all varieties as promised in the Congress manifesto for the Assembly elections was height of deceit. He stated that farmers cultivate fine varieties only in 20% extent in the Kharif season, just up to 5% in the Rabi season.

Playing video clippings of the statements made by Congress leaders during the run-up to Assembly elections at the press conference, he said the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had all just spoke about ₹500 per quintal bonus to paddy and not for just fine varieties. He stated that the previous BRS government had procured 7.28 crore tonnes paddy including 66 lakh tonnes during the last Rabi season. About 4 kg-5kg was being reduced in the name of chaff and waste material and the farmers were being made to wait for weeks together at procurement centres to weigh their produce.

On the other hand, another former minister Ponnala Lakshmaih and official spokesperson Dasoju Sravan too questioned the government’s decision to give bonus only to fine varieties of paddy when they were cultivated in small extent.