Cong playing blame game on paddy procurement: Kishan

Hyderabad: Union coal minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday accused that the Congress govt failed to procure paddy in time during the current Rabi season and was trying to shift the blame onto the Centre.“How can the ruling Congress leaders criticise the central govt for not procuring paddy from Telangana? The Centre agreed to purchase nearly 53 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of paddy,” he said during a media conference.“The state govt had remained negligent towards procurement of paddy until the BJP MPs and MLAs conducted a tour of market yards as part of ‘Rythu Gosa’. Farmers were waiting at procurement centres and market yards for their paddy to be purchased. But the govt delayed it and they were left vulnerable to unseasonal rains and the attempts of intermediaries to purchase the paddy at a low price,” Kishan Reddy alleged.He further added that the state govt is securing inferior quality fine variety rice from other states and distributing it through PDS. The good quality fine rice produced in the state is being sent to other states at a higher price, he claimed.“Blaming the BJP govt at the Centre has become a habit for the BRS and the Congress. Earlier, the previous BRS govt used to blame the Centre for its inefficiency and failure to procure agricultural produce. Now the Congress govt is indulging in the blame game,” he added.Kishan Reddy expressed willingness to help increase the quota of procurement of paddy by the Centre from Telangana. “The Congress had promised bonuses for 10 crops during elections, later restricted it to one crop, then to fine paddy, and now even Rabi farmers were reportedly not receiving the benefit,” he claimed.