Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao asked on Monday that the Centre acquire 100% paddy for the minimum support price (MSP) from Telangana, and and not rice from Telangana in rabi season as was being done in Punjab.
He asked why the state government should mill rice and supply uncooked or boiling rice to the federal government. However, the Chief Minister has deferred his earlier visit to Delhi in order to pursue this issue with the Centre. He said a group of ministers and MPs will depart for Delhi on Tuesday to meet with union ministers concerned to express their demands, and he would decide when to visit Delhi to meet with the Prime Minister and union ministers based on the response they receive.
Rao, speaking at a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, stated, "The MSP for paddy is set by the government, but not for rice. It is the Centre's responsibility to procure paddy for MSP from states, and it is the Centre's decision what to do with the paddy. The Center must decide whether paddy should be used to generate raw rice or boiling rice. In what ways does this worry or concern states? In the kharif and rabi seasons, the Centre purchases 100% paddy from Punjab and Haryana. We demand that the Centre procure paddy from Telangana in two seasons in the same manner."
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