TRS leaders colluding with rice millers, extorting money from farmers: Revanth

Hyderabad: TPCC president Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged that TRS leaders are colluding with rice millers and extorting money from Kumbakai farmers. He posed 10 questions to Chief Minister KCR.

"There are allegations that TRS leaders with rice millers are extorting money from Kumbakkai farmers. What is your response to the allegations that your family members are making deals with the millers' mafia and extorting the farmers?" Revanth asked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

He further asked, "Isn't it true that you wrote a letter to the Centre on 4 October 2021, asking them not to get parboiled rice from Telangana anymore? Isn't it true that Union minister Piyush Goyal is manipulating the procurement of grain to thwart that letter? Who gave you the authority to write a letter to the Center while risking the lives of the farmers of Telangana?"

Stating that the farmers were skeptical from the beginning about the government's integrity in terms of grain purchases, he asked, "Isn't it true that you announced in February 2021 that there was a loss of Rs. 7,500 crore, that sales were not the responsibility of the government, and that there would be no more buying centres? Isn't this a testament to the fact that you are sowing the seeds of a conspiracy to shirk responsibility for grain purchase?"

Referring to a video conference organised by the Union food ministry on 25 February and 8 March on the preparations for the Yasangi season, Revanth asked if it was not true that the Central government officials said they will not buy grain in Telangana this time and there will be no buying centres. "Isn't this the reason why Telangana did not get a place in the FCI Yasangi plan?" he asked.

The TPCC chief said that Yasangi grain collection preparations should start within the first week of March. If the government was sincere about buying grain then why is it not completing the process of setting up buying centres, calling for tenders, allotting quota for rice millers, he asked.

"Is it not true that farmers are already losing money at the hands of brokers in the blame game between the Central and state governments? Do you not know that the present MSP will cause a loss of about Rs. 3,000 crore to the farmers of Telangana?" asked Revanth.

Revanth accused the CM of protesting in Delhi to gain "political advantage" and asked how it will benefit the farmers of the state.