Our Telangana leaders have shown chief minister right direction: BJP on paddy procurement

The BJP on Wednesday said its announcement of procuring grains from Telangana farmers over and above the central procurement if it forms government in the state prompted the incumbent TRS dispensation to decide on purchasing paddy stock from farmers.

The party also said it winning power in Telangana is ''imminent''.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had announced on Tuesday that his government would procure the entire paddy stock from the state's farmers by opening procurement centres on a war footing.

Rao had demanded that the Centre procure the state farmers' paddy stock and had staged a dharna in the national capital as well. He claimed that his party has ''sufficiently'' exposed the BJP-led NDA government for not agreeing to the demand and over its ''wicked'' anti-farmer attitude.

Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal refuted Rao's criticism, and said the central government has one procurement policy for the entire country.

''We strictly abide by it,'' he told a press conference while replying to a question.

Any state government which wants to supplement the central procurement through their own programme is welcome, he said.

''The BJP had assured Telangana farmers that if it comes to power, which in any case seems imminent, it will procure any product outside the food security Act guidelines as state procurement. I think this has prompted the chief minister to start this.... BJP leaders from Telangana have showed him the right direction,'' Goyal said.

Assembly polls are slated for 2023-end in the state where the BJP has emerged as a main rival to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi after winning some key bypolls. The BJP had also bagged four Lok Sabha seats while the TRS won nine.