Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao announced Rs 3 lakh ex gratia each to the family members of north Indian farmers, who died during the agitation against the Centre’s contentious farm laws.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, the Chief Minister said around 750 farmers lost their lives during the 13-month stir and the Telangana government would give ex-gratia of around Rs 22.50 crore to them.
Telangana ministers would reach the bereaved family members to hand over the ex-gratia, he said and demanded that the Central government declare Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the families of the deceased farmers.
Chandrasekhar Rao said two delegations comprising ministers, MPs and officials would reach Delhi on Sunday to sort out the paddy procurement issue. “I will stay in Delhi for two days and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss farming issues,” he said. A delegation led by agriculture minister S. Niranjan Reddy and civil supplies minister G. Kamalakar along with TRS MPs would meet the concerned ministers, he said, adding that another delegation led by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar would discuss the issue with top officials.
He said that based on the Central government’s response, they would ‘guide’ the farmers in Telangana state on sowing paddy and procurement issues. “There is no need to worry about paddy procurement as around 6,600 paddy purchasing centres were opened across the state,” the Chief Minister assured. “We will purchase the last grain of the paddy in the ensuing marketing season”, he said.
Reacting to the repeal of farm laws, Chandrasekhar Rao termed it as victory for farmers. After a 13-month-long stir, brave farmers got relief with the decision of the Union government, he said. Numerous cases were registered against agitating farmers and even a Bengaluru-based youth Disha, he said. Sedition cases were registered against farmers and their supporters, but the Narendra Modi government realised its mistake and tendered apology to the farming community, he said.
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The Chief Minister demanded that a law be enacted to ensure at least minimum support price (MSP) to farmers. A bill should be introduced in the next Parliament session on MSP as 15 crore farmers’ families were eagerly waiting, he said. The Central government should take it as a positive step, he suggested.
Chandrashekar Rao said he would fight against the electricity bill introduced by the Central government. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were providing electricity to farmers and the Central government should not pressurise the states on new electricity bill, he said. “If the BJP government wants to introduce the electricity bill, it should be implemented in the BJP-ruled states,” he said. The TRS would fight against the electricity bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Not only farmers, electricity employees and people were worried over the electricity bill, which was in final shape for implementation, he said.