Telangana to buy paddy

Hyderabad: The state cabinet, which met here on Tuesday, came up with three important decisions. One is to start buying paddy in the next three days, scrap GO 111, which has been pending for decades, and set up six private universities.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that a four-member official committee consisting of Chief Secretary, Finance, Agriculture and Irrigation Secretaries would study the entire issue of paddy procurement by the state government.

State Civil Supplies department will procure required gunny bags to pack the paddy at the procurement centres. The CM instructed the Collectors to hold video conferences to set up procurement centres in every village. Ministers were asked to visit districts to oversee the procurement process. "The government will buy paddy at Rs 1,960 per quintal which is the MSP and would deposit the MSP money into farmers' bank accounts," he said.

Interestingly, reacting to this decision, the state BJP claimed that it was their victory. BJP said it would force the government to buy paddy and now the state government finally decided to buy paddy, said state BJP president Bandi Sanjay at a press conference.

As far as scrapping of GO 111 is concerned, the CM said many areas like Secunderabad cantonment, Rangareddy and Vikarabad districts were not developing as expected due to GO 111 which prohibited taking up big constructions so as to ensure the conservations of water bodies mainly Himayat Sagar and Gandipet.

KCR said a committee with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar would be constituted to study the entire issue of protection of green zones and development activities in the GO 111 covered areas.

He said all necessary measures would be taken to protect the water bodies and the green zone will be safeguarded.

Drinking water needs of people under the GHMC limits was being met from reservoirs constructed under the Kaleshwaram project and hence cancelling GO 111 would not affect the water requirements of the city, he added.

To promote higher education in the private sector, the cabinet gave its nod for establishment of private universities - CII- AMITY, MNR, Guru Nanak, NICMAR, Kaveri, Pharma and Aviation universities.