Talks fail: Centre mum on procuring more Telangana rice

HYDERABAD: The talks between the Telangana government and the Centre on procurement of rice failed on Friday as Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal gave no concrete assurance on procuring more than 40 lakh tonnes of Kharif rice from the state.

The government of Telangana was expecting a positive response from the Centre during the latest meeting, which saw state Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy, Panchayat Raj Minister E Dayakar Rao and Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy holding talks with Piyush Goyal in New Delhi. 

“The Centre already gave a letter stating that it will procure 40 lakh tonnes of Kharif rice. We requested the Union Minister to increase this target. But he did not give any concrete assurance. The attitude of the Centre is very painful and disappointing,” Niranjan Reddy informed the media after the hour-long meeting.

He also said that the Union Minister did not announce any annual procurement target as requested by the state government. The Union Minister, however, reiterated that the Centre would not procure Rabi rice from the state. “We are returning to Hyderabad in despair,” Niranjan Reddy said. 

During the meeting, Niranjan Reddy informed the Union Minister that while the Centre asked the state not to raise paddy in Rabi season, the state BJP leaders were asking the farmers to raise paddy. Piyush Goyal reportedly told the Telangana Minister that he would convey the matter to the state BJP leaders.