BRS workers and farmers blocked vehicular traffic and organised dharnas at all important towns and villages in the state.
Published May 16, 2024 | 11:45 PM ⚊ Updated May 16, 2024 | 11:45 PM
Protest organised by BRS in Karimnagar. (X)
The Opposition BRS in Telangana organised protests across the state on Thursday, 16 May, resenting the alleged anti-farmer decisions of the state government including the exclusion of farmers who raise a coarse variety of rice from a bonus payment of ₹500 per quintal.
BRS workers and farmers blocked vehicular traffic and organised dharnas at all important towns and villages in the state following a call to this effect by party supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) on Wednesday.
The BRS recovered from the shock after its debacle in the recent Assembly elections and exhibited a spirited effort to regain the lost glory in the Lok Sabha elections.
Even though the polling is over for the parliament elections, the party did not take any break but swung into action in “exposing” the state government of its policies which it felt had brought misery and privation to the farmers.
In Mahabubnagar, former minister V Srinivas Goud led the party workers who organised a dharna at Telangana Chowrastha along with farmers. The protestors raised slogans against the state government.
In Karimnagar, former state minister Gangula Kamalakar led the protests. In Dubbka in the Medak district, MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy took part in a demonstration.
In Miryalaguda, the party activists and leaders held a demonstration at the party office in the town. The protest was led by former MLA Nallamothu Bhaskar Rao.
He said the incumbent government was forcing the farmers to end their lives with its decisions. “The Congress government appears keen on turning Telangana into a land of farmer suicides,” he said.
In Chennur the protest was led by BRS leader Balka Suman.
On Wednesday, KCR, in an appeal to the farmers, said that the Congress government in the state had betrayed the farmers by restricting the ₹500 per quintal bonus over and above the MSP to those who raised a fine variety of rice.
The former chief minister said if the Congress announced the restriction ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, the farmers would have pulverised the party at the hustings.
“The farmers are already very angry since the government has not been paying them the Rythu Bharosa money in time,” he said.
Chandrashekar Rao said that the government has been dragging its feet in procuring paddy from farmers at procurement centres. He asked the leaders of his party to be present at the procurement centres and pressure the government to procure the paddy from farmers.
Even though the procurement is almost finished in some parts of the state, mainly in north Telangana districts, it is yet to pick up in the remaining districts.
Untimely rains and thunderstorms had damaged the paddy that the farmers brought to the procurement centres.
There have been complaints that the paddy was lying with the farmers since the officials were not weighing it until trucks stuck at rice mills became available.
Tough days are ahead for the farmers as they are concerned about losses due to rain as the meteorology department predicted heavy rains in the next few days.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
