'Some Telangana politicians misleading farmers': Piyush Goyal slams Telangana govt over paddy procurement

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Thursday assured farmers of Telangana that there is absolutely no discrimination among the farmers from different states and added that some politicians in Telangana are misleading the farmers in the state.

This statement comes from the Union Minister in light of the recent meeting with the delegation of Telangana ministers and officials who had come to the national capital to press the demand that the Food Corporation of India should procure the entire quantity of paddy produced in the State.

Speaking to reporters today outside the Parliament premises, Goyal said, "The Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to the welfare of farmers and has consistently ensured that all the farmers of the country get the benefit of several policies that we are introducing from time to time. The government procures rice from all over the country without any discrimination whatsoever."

"In the last few years, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement from Telangana of rice has increased significantly and the total MSP value paid to farmers has increased from 3391 crores in 2014-15 to 26,610 crores in current marketing season 2021. So in six years, it has gone up by about seven times. The same policy which applies to Punjab, applies to Telangana and all other states," he said.

He said, "The farmers of Telangana can rest assured that there is absolutely no discrimination among the farmers from different states. Some politicians in Telangana are misleading the farmers in the state. I request the Telangana government to stop this."

The Union Minister said that as per the agreement with Food Corporation of India, states are required that (de-centralized procurement) DCP states who do the procurement and the rice milling they are required to do the procurement Milled rice.

"The Central Government, purchases the rice based on the budget demand and consumption. States after procuring the rice use for their own consumption industry and the balance is taken by the government. This is a copy of the agreement with all the states including Telangana, including Punjab with all the states. This is the agreement and I will read out Para 18, it clearly says if the stocks of the rice procured by the state government exceeds its allocation under TPDS and other welfare schemes such excess talk shall be handed over to FCI by the state government," he said.

"FCI shall have the option to specify whether such access rice that would be handed over to FCI for central pool by the state shall be in the form of raw rice or parboiled rice to meet the overall consumption requirement of the country under TPDS, OWS and type of rice decided clearly based on the consumption pattern," he said.

"This information has been given to all the states and accordingly the Telangana government has written a letter to us confirming that they will provide us raw rice as per the demand in the whole country. The central government stands committed to buy whatever excess stocks there in Telangana after their own consumption in the form of raw rice as per the quality specified by the FCI, as per the agreement with the FCI and as was committed by the state government in writing to the Union government," he said.

"We stand with whatever commitment the government makes. The farmers of Telangana can rest assured that there is absolutely no discrimination," he said.

Telangana Government has been demanding the Centre to procure the entire paddy produced in the State. Last year, a delegation of Ministers from the State, had even met union Ministers to make a clear announcement on paddy procurement, including the quantity. However, there has been no amicable solution obtained to the problem yet.

( With inputs from ANI )