Farmers need not worry, we will purchase wet paddy from them: Telangana CM

The Telangana government would purchase paddy that turned wet due to recent rains and the farmers need not worry about it, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Wednesday.

Rao, who held a review meeting on paddy procurement, asked officials about gunny bags, transportation and other aspects of the issue, an official release said.

The Chief Minister directed that paddy procurement be speeded up as rainy season is approaching.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that a target of 56 lakh metric tonne of paddy has been fixed for procurement. They said 20 lakh metric tonne has been procured so far.

Observing that appropriate precautions should be taken as the harvested paddy is getting wet in view of unseasonal rains at some places in the state, Rao said the state government would purchase wet paddy till the last grain regardless of expenditure.

Rao reiterated that the state government would purchase boiled rice from farmers without being concerned about expenditure and whether the Centre purchased the grains or not, the release said.

The opposition Congress has attacked the TRS government for putting the farmers to inconvenience against the backdrop of rainfall by not completing paddy procurement expeditiously.