‘Centre conspiring against farmers, dodging responsibility’
The Hindu
Agriculture Minister flays Piyush Goyal for spreading misinformation on paddy procurement
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has alleged that the BJP-led Central government was conspiring against farmers of Telangana by dodging its responsibility on procurement of foodgrains and spreading misinformation on the issue from Parliament.
Criticising Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal for his statement in Parliament on paddy procurement in Telangana, Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy, along with legislators M. Anand, K. Venkatesh Yadav, S. Vanidevi and others, on Sunday alleged that Mr. Goyal had spoken lies on the supply of rice pertaining to the last Rabi season by Telangana.
Mr. Niranjan Reddy reminded the Union Minister that the responsibility of paddy procurement was on the Centre/FCI and the State government cooperates and supports the exercise, which is in vogue since Independence. However, the FCI was inordinately delaying shifting or lifting milled (parboiled) rice pertaining to the last Rabi season lying with millers for want of railway rakes.