Kavitha stages protest over paddy procurement

Hyderabad: Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS) chief K Kavitha criticised the state govt over its “cruel and indifferent” attitude towards the farming community. Speaking at a protest demonstration in front of the secretariat on Friday, she alleged that distressed farmers were dying on their harvested grain heaps due to procurement delays. She demanded that the govt set up more procurement centres.Along with by TRS cadres, women, and local farmers, Kavitha staged a sit-in and poured paddy onto the road to protest the govt’s failure. Protesters raised slogans against the administration before the police took them into custody. Kavitha, along with several women and farmers, was shifted to the Falaknuma police station and released later.Lashing out at the govt, Kavitha pointed out that the CM had not conducted a single review meeting on the agriculture department in the last two and a half years. She demanded that the govt procure every single grain of paddy, jowar, and sunflower, and immediately grant ex-gratia compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives.She alleged that authorities were deliberately registering Grade-A paddy as Grade-B to avoid paying the promised bonus on fine-variety paddy. “The govt must take immediate action to prevent farmers from being cheated by middlemen,” she said. Kavitha warned that if the CM did not immediately review the agricultural crisis and open procurement centres, the TRS would launch intensive state-wide agitations across all districts starting Saturday.