The Bharatiya Janata Party Telangana unit on Monday appealed to Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan to use her good offices and ensure that the State government comes to the rescue of farmers facing a host of problems during procurement, and the losses due to recent heavy rains as already three farmers had committed suicide and few others had burnt the paddy they were unable to sell.
A delegation led by party president Bandi Sanjay, MLC N. Ramchander Rao and MLA Raja Singh met the Governor at Raj Bhavan and presented a memorandum (a copy of which was released to the media) to her listing out the issues being faced by the farmers and charged the government and the official machinery with not responding to the situation in the right earnest.
The BJP leaders informed her that the situation at various procurement centres spread cross Telangana is contrary to the proclamations of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that officials will reach out to the farmers themselves and every grain produced will be procured, but the farmers are being put to much distress due to logistics issues and also because of ‘harassment’ from the administration.
The party had sent its leaders to various procurement centres and agriculture markets to study the situation and based on their inputs, the government including the Chief Secretary has been alerted about the prevailing situation but since there has been no response, it was constrained to bring these issues to her notice, the memorandum said.
For instance, the party claimed that despite assuring transport no vehicles have been made available to the farmers. There are not enough vehicles to transport the agriculture produce to the markets even if the farmers themselves want to do so. There are insufficient weighing machines too.
The leaders wanted directions to be issued to the field staff to purchase paddy without looking at the moisture content and also the maize coming into the markets. The minimum support price should be adhered to at any cost and any loss at the market or procurement centre should be compensated. Money should be made available to the farmers without much delay.
Clean sanitary conditions at the markets, provision of sanitisers, face masks along with social distancing should be ensured. An ex gratia of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased farmers in the recent lighting strikes and compensation to mango, paddy, vegetables and maize farmers, who suffered losses in rains, was also sought.