Telangana farmers oppose new agriculture laws

Naveen S Garewal 

Tribune News Service 

Hyderabad, September 23 

The opposition to the farm legislations is growing in Telangana with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leadership coming out on the road to protest the “anti-farmer” regulations. 

The political leadership of all parties is opposing the farm legislations – Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

As per reports, farmers across the state held protest  demonstrations against the legislations.

A large number of farmers on tractors and bullock-carts staged a protest at Narsampet in Warangal district.

While addressing the farmers, local MLA Peddi Sudarshan Reddy said the interest of the farmers was under serious threat as the new legislations would meddle with the benefits received by the state farmers. 

The Telangana Government led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is working towards uplifting of the farmers, while the Centre is trying to hit them, various politicians have been saying in their addresses. 

Highlighting the scrapping of the entire agriculture market system, TRS politicians have said that this would also take away the minimum support price (MSP), hitting the farmers economically and would expose the farmers to exploitation by the middlemen and traders.

The TRS has threatened to go to Delhi to protest if the Central Government did not scrap the new agricultural legislations. 

Telangana Finance Minister T Harish Rao, meanwhile, demanded immediate release of the pending Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) amounting Rs 2,461 crore as the state was facing a serious financial crunch.

He put forth this demand in a video conference with the GST Council convenor and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushi Kumar Modi.

Rao said this money was necessary for the state to continue its fight against COVID-19. 

He asked the Union Government to release the funds before the next GST council meeting, which is scheduled to be held on October 5.  

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.