Telangana: TRS MLC K Kavitha slams BJP MP over turmeric farmers' issue

Kavitha remarked that Arvind had failed to persuade the union government to establish a Turmeric Board in the district.

Briefing the mediapersons, Kavitha said MP Arvind Dharmapuri and the BJP made false promises to the people of Nizamabad to win the election and lose the faith of people while fiddling with their hopes and needs. She sought justice and transparency for the turmeric farmers.

Kavitha stated that she did not speak on the subject for the last 3 years because she wanted to respect the mandate delivered by the people of Nizamabad and give the current MP "time" to do something regarding his promises to the farmers of the district. She also cited an RTI reply on the budget allocated with respect to turmeric-producing farmers.

Referring to an RTI (Right to information) reply, Kavitha asked the BJP and Nizamabad MP the reason for depriving the farmers and people of Nizamabad of their basic dues. She further accused Dharmapuri of making big claims of Rs 100 crore allocation and said farmers got only Rs 200 of the turmeric board under his regime.

"Arvind, in the last 3 years could only get our farmers an allocation of Rs 1.92 crore for close to 1 lakh turmeric producing farmers. If you divide it between all of them, it boils down to less than Rs 200. All he did was deceive farmers by distributing a bond paper."

"Arvind had promised the farming community in Nizamabad in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that if elected as MP, he would get the Turmeric Board sanctioned to the district and that he would get proper minimum support prices fixed for both turmeric and red jowar. If he failed to keep both commitments, he had said that he would resign as a member of Parliament and join the farmers' and people's movement," Kavitha said.

In March 2019, Arvind Dharmapuri made a vow in writing and even signed it on a non-judicial (bond) stamp paper, that he would get a Turmeric Board. In the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, his team printed copies of the promise and distributed them in turmeric-growing areas, said the TRS MLC.

"Time has come now for Mr. Arvind to deliver on his bond paper promise. He should go around on his knees in Delhi around the offices of his masters if he really has the interest to serve the people of Telangana," Kavitha remarked.

Hitting out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the TRS leader said, "During paddy crop issue, we urged him (Rahul Gandhi) to raise the issue in Parliament and to support farmers of Telangana but he did not. But now he is planning something in Warangal, coming here to do politics only. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi never talked in the favour of Telangana. I do not know why he is coming to Warangal and Osmania University."

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BJP President J P Nadda's visit to Telangana, Kavitha responded saying that they are "political tourists".

Former Member of Parliament Kavitha added that in the run of elections more and more political tourists will visit Telangana because of elections but the TRS Party is there to stay to work for the future generations. She further added that other political parties try to divide the people of Telangana in the name of religion, occupation and other ways, TRS Party works to bridge that gap. (ANI)