Farmers Movement Archive

Centre passed farm bills through ‘goonda gardi’: Telangana CM KCR

HYDERABAD: Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Saturday the Centre got the farm bills approved in Parliament by resorting to “goonda gardi”. Using the inauguration of the first Rythu Vedika (farmer facilitation centre) in the state on Saturday, the TRS chief said he would speak to leaders of other parties to fight against the Centre on the agri laws. Though Telangana has not seen protests like in Punjab, the TRS had opposed the farm bills in both houses of Parliament. Lauding Punjab for its fight, the CM said Telangana people should also think of resisting the farm laws. “Northern states like Punjab are simmering with resentment over the new farm laws and Modi’s effigies were burnt instead of Ravana during Dasara,” KCR said after inaugurating the Rythu Vedika at Kodakandla in Jangaon district, 137 km from Hyderabad. He said though the NDA government did not have the required strength in the Rajya Sabha and Opposition parties demanded voting and division on the farm bills, the chairman announced that the bills had been passed. He rejected the Centre’s claim that the laws would benefit the farmers, saying it would benefit only big businessmen. “Will any farmer go to Delhi and sell his produce there? Only corporates and businessmen will be able to sell their produce in other states,” the CM said. The CM said though the state was willing to give more concessions to farmers, the Centre was not cooperating. He called upon the farmers to vent their ire against the Centre. Showing an FCI communique to the state at the meeting, he said the FCI would not procure paddy if the state paid more than Rs 1,880 per quintal whether it was fine or coarse variety of paddy. “Our government wants to pay Rs 100 or Rs 50 more than the MSP for the fine variety of paddy. But our hands are tied by the Centre. I assure the farmers that they will be given an additional support price,” the CM said. He elaborated on the state government’s schemes for farmers. “Nobody asked or gave me a petition or staged a dharna to implement the Rythu Bandhu or Rythu Bima schemes, or the sheep rearing scheme. But we are implementing these schemes by spending thousands of crores of rupees,” KCR said. KCR said he was ready to resign as CM if BJP leaders proved that the Centre was contributing more funds towards the Aasara pension scheme. “BJP leaders are spreading lies on the Centre’s financial assistance for pensions to make electoral gains in the Dubbak assembly byelections (on November 3),” he said. He said the state government spends Rs 11,000 crore a year on the pension scheme, while the Centre’s contribution is Rs 105 crore. “These figure are available with the CAG and can be checked,” he added.

The Times of India

2020-11-01

Hyderabad