TRS government needs to intervene to help farmers

Hyderabad: Stating that the Centre has already made purchases of pulses worth about Rs 750 crores in Telangana, Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said the TRS government too needs to intervene to help the farmers. "It is not correct for the state government to leave it to the Centre and be negligent.

It should make market intervention and allocate at least Rs 500 crore to help the farmers," Dattatreya, who holds labour portfolio told reporters here. About four lakh tonnes of arhar dal came into the market this year in Telangana, a three-fold jump from 1,40,000 tonnes in the past, Dattatreya said. The Centre has made purchases of 1,35,000 tonnes worth Rs 750 crore through Food Corporation of India (FCI), he said, adding, NAFED is also making purchases substantially.

The Centre has also increased the bonus for farmers, in addition to MSP, on arhar dal, moong dal and urad dal, he said. Noting that only 15 lakh soil health cards have been distributed in the state against a total of 50 lakh farmers, he said the delay on the part of state government is not good. The state government should also take steps to cover more farmers under the Centre's Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance scheme), Dattatreya said.

Only six lakh farmers used the crop insurance scheme, the minister said. The state government should also take steps for completing the fourth phase of its farm loan waiver promise, he said. Describing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as the biggest tax reform since Independence, the Minister hailed the progress in proposed implemention the measure, saying it would help businessmen and common people.