CM’s comments lay bare utter incompetence, broken promises: Bandi

Bandi Sanjay criticises Congress government for neglecting farmers, demands immediate paddy procurement and payment to farmers in Telangana.

Alleging that the Congress government remained indifferent to the plight of farmers in the State, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s comments on the fiscal status of Telangana exposed ‘misgovernance’ and the ‘utter incompetence’ of the Congress dispensation in Telangana.

Addressing the media in Yellareddypet after visiting the paddy procurement centre at Narmala village in Rajanna Sircilla district on Tuesday, Mr Sanjay alleged that Mr Revanth’s comments on State finances laid bare the ruling Congress party’s ‘hollow promises’. “We will take the ruling Congress to task to press for implementation of all the election promises and six guarantees,” he said.

He alleged that the delay in paddy procurement process and payment of money to farmers towards purchased paddy left the farmers distraught. “Although over 500 procurement centres have been opened in Karimnagar and Rajanna Sircilla districts around one and a half months ago, the procurement of paddy is still incomplete. While seven lakh metric tonnes of paddy is to be procured in these two districts, not even half of the stipulated quantity has been purchased yet,.” he said

“Even a month after purchase, money has not been credited into farmers’ accounts. How are they expected to survive like this?” he questioned.

He hit out at Mr. Revanth, saying, “When people raise their genuine issues and ask for promised support, the Chief Minister is shirking from his responsibility citing ‘poor finances’ and expressing his ‘inability’ to address their issues.”

Mr. Sanjay asserted that the Centre was paying every paisa for paddy procurement, including for torn sacks. An amount of ₹1.5 lakh crore had been spent on paddy procurement in the past 10 years, he added.

He demanded that the State government procure paddy on a war footing, credit the money directly into farmers’ accounts without delay and provide succour to the farmers affected by unseasonal rains.