BJP, BRS fired smear salvo at behest of millers: Uttam

Hyderabad: Countering the ‘smear campaign’ by both BJP and BRS against him, Civil Supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the accusations by rivals were the result of their close association with millers. He said that unlike the earlier government, the Congress government after coming to power has acted tough against these millers and has remained supportive of the farmers.

Uttam, while addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan along with Industries minister D Sridhar Babu, MLCs T Jeevan Reddy and B Mahesh Kumar Goud and others, has accused the BJP and BRS of spreading false accusations against the Congress government. He claimed that both BRS and BJP were collaborating to defame the ruling party, by particularly targeting the Civil Supplies Department with baseless allegations. "We have purchased more paddy and deposited the money into the farmers' accounts faster than the BRS did," he said.

While maintaining that the previous BRS government left the Civil Supply Corporation in massive debt, with liabilities amounting to Rs 59,000 crore and losses of Rs 11,000 crore, he underlined that the government had taken revolutionary steps, including purchasing grain damaged by recent rains at MSP. Helplines were also established, and a special drive was initiated to reduce wastage and increase profits for farmers, he added.

He stated that BRS and BJP leaders did not verify the figures before levelling baseless allegations. He clarified that not a single grain of fine rice had been purchased and that the government would buy any amount of fine rice at Rs 42 per kg if it meets other conditions of the tender. He explained that not a single rupee was spent on fine rice and that the global tender referred to by BRS and BJP leaders had already been cancelled.

Furthermore, he said that only Rs 200 crore worth of grain had been purchased so far. "How could a Rs 2,000 crore scam occur in the purchase of grain worth only Rs 200 crore?" he questioned.

Referring to BRS leader KTR's allegation that tender rules were relaxed for the blacklisted KendriyaBhandar, he stated it was the BRS government that blacklisted KendriyaBhandar and later lifted it. Therefore, the present Congress government had nothing to do with its blacklisting, he said.

Uttam Kumar warned that false propaganda by the opposition is not good for the state. He alleged that Maheshwar Reddy had bought his position as BJP floor leader through financial means. "It is not our culture to engage in such practices," the minister added.