Govt failed to distribute fertilisers, says Bandi; slams agriculture min

Hyderabad: Union minister of state (Home) Bandi Sanjay on Sunday wrote another open letter to chief minister A Revanth Reddy, questioning whether it was reasonable to retaliate when a letter was written to resolve farmers' issues and implement the promises mentioned in the Congress manifesto.In the letter, Bandi Sanjay targeted agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, stating that he could not understand what was written in his own party's manifesto and accusing him of making false statements and lacking awareness.Bandi Sanjay also raised the issue of farm loan waivers, stating that loans of nearly 20 lakh farmers were not waived. On crop insurance, he asked whether there was awareness that ‘Fasal Bima Yojana' scheme was being implemented in non-BJP states too. He questioned why, if the Fasal Bima scheme was ineffective, an alternative crop insurance scheme had not been brought even after two and a half years, and alleged that farmers were being harmed by not bringing a new scheme and not implementing the Fasal Bima.‘Minister ineligible'He described as a blatant lie the claim that the Centre was ignoring Telangana as crops were being lost due to natural calamities. He further alleged that when farmers lost crops on five lakh acres, 5,000 crore should have been paid at 10,000 per acre, but only 250 crore was paid. Bandi Sanjay also criticised fertiliser distribution in the state, alleging that Tummala could not distribute fertilisers properly and questioned how a minister who could not step out of Khammam and see farmers' suffering at the grassroots level could understand their problems. On rice procurement, he called it a blatant lie to say the Centre was buying only 25% of the rice in the state, stating that the majority of the rice procured by the Civil Supplies Corporation was taken by the Centre. He also described as a blatant lie the claim that no assistance was being provided from the Centre to the state, stating that in 12 years the Modi government had given over 12 lakh crores to Telangana. In the letter, Bandi Sanjay objected to the agriculture minister calling the farm laws made by Parliament "black laws", describing it as treason against the Constitution, and said Tummala was "ineligible" to continue as agriculture minister.