Farmers Movement Archive

Enact MSP law, junk electricity act, says Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao to Centre

HYDERABAD: Coming out in support of farmers from Punjab and UP, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday demanded that the Centre enact minimum support price (MSP) Act in the forthcoming Parliament session along with repealing the three farm laws. He also demanded the Centre to withdraw all cases booked against farmers during protests and against people like Disha, a girl from Bangalore, who was booked under sedition charges. KCR said the NDA government should also withdraw new Electricity Act claiming it was another anti-farmer law. The TRS would fight against the Act both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the TRS president said. If the Act is passed in Parliament forcibly, there would be another movement in the country, he threatened. Holding an unprecedented third press conference in two weeks, KCR asked for an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to each of the 700-750 farmers’ families who lost their lives during the protests in the past one year. On behalf of the Telangana government, he announced Rs 3 lakh ex gratia to kin of each farmer’s family. While welcoming the decision of the Centre on repealing the new farm laws, KCR said just an apology was not enough. “The government should come to the rescue of the farmers’ families,” he said. “People are believing the PM’s announcement and thinking it is an election stunt in view of upcoming assembly elections in five states. That is why farmers are demanding MSP Act.” He said the NDA government branded agitating farmers as terrorists and Khalistanis. “In Telangana, the government has been providing free 24x7 quality power for the past few years. With new Electricity Act, the Centre is asking to install meters at borewells. We have the capacity to provide free power and we are opposing the Act,. Why is the Centre pressuring the states to implement this? If you (the Centre) want, you can implement it in BJP-ruled states,” the CM said. Paddy row: CM off to Delhi again:CM KCR will be leaving for Delhi on Sunday to prevail upon the Centre on the paddy procurement issue. “If the Centre specifies its target, the state government would convince farmers to go for alternative crops,” the CM said.

The Times of India

2021-11-21

Hyderabad