Telangana CM accuses Modi of failing farm sector, warns of nationwide agitations

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain the fertiliser costs at the present level, while asking the central government to absorb any additional costs in order to "unburden crores of farmers."

On Wednesday, Rao shot off a letter to Modi pointing that the BJP led government had in February 2016 promised to double farmers' income in six years i.e. by 2022. “(But) no specific or structured programme has been initiated towards that direction. Contrary and to the dismay of one and all, input costs have doubled in the last five years, while the farming income has declined causing distress,” Rao said in the missive.

The missive was sent a day after Rao met with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at his residence in Hyderabad. Last week, the CM had separate meetings with the CPI and CPM leaders, who were in the city for their party-related activities. Rao had also met Tamil Nadu CM and DMK chief MK Stalin last month, when he visited Srirangam.

The parleys, details of which were not revealed, are believed to have centred on the political situation in the country. The meetings are being seen by analysts as Rao's attempts at lending credence to his random talk of forming a federal front.

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In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, Rao asked the people in the state and across the country “to root out the BJP government which is weakening the rural economy, hereditary trades, and playing havoc with farming to hand over the agriculture sector to the corporates.” He warned the Modi government of public agitations.

The warning and letter to Modi also come in the backdrop of the ongoing tussle between the TRS and BJP over the procurement of Telangana paddy. Rao went on to accuse the Modi government of turning a blind eye to the ever-increasing fertiliser prices. “It is sad to note that the prices of two most consumed fertilisers 28.28.0 and Muriate of Potash have increased by more than 50% and 100% respectively in the last 90 days.”

He pointed out that the Centre's claims of pegging the MSP at 150 per cent of production costs is misleading. “The Government of India has no reliable mechanism of ensuring price guarantee to the farmers for their crops.”

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