State turns heat on Centre

■ Procurement, fertilizer quota and Metro Phase II dominate ministers' discussions

■ Rythu Bharosa rollout from June 30, Madhira to host Mega Farmers' Meeting

metro india news I hyderabad

The Telangana government, at an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Secretariat, took several important decisions relating to agriculture, procurement, infrastructure, welfare, and governance reforms. The meeting resolved to release Rythu Bharosa investment support assistance for the Vanakalam (Kharif) season and launch the disbursement programme from a massive farmers' convention to be held at Madhira in Khammam district on June 30.

The government will organize a large public meeting with farmers on the same day, during which the transfer of Rythu Bharosa funds into the bank accounts of eligible farmers across the State will commence.

Bonus for Seven Fine Rice Varieties and Focus on Paddy Procurement

The ministers decided that the State Government's bonus for fine paddy varieties will be extended only to seven notified varieties based on market demand and consumer requirements. The eligible varieties are BPT 5204, RNR 15048, HMT Sona, Jai Sriram, KNM 1638, WGL 44, and KNM 7715.

The meeting noted that Telangana farmers have produced a record quantity of paddy this season, with the State already procuring nearly 80 lakh metric tonnes of grain, the highest ever. Ministers expressed concern over the comparatively lower procurement of Telangana's paddy by the Central Government and urged it to procure the entire quantity produced in the State.

The government reiterated its commitment to procure agricultural produce in accordance with Central guidelines and Minimum Support Price norms. It also resolved to align future State procurement operations with the crops and procurement quotas notified by the Centre to ensure uninterrupted support to farmers.

Demand for Fertilizer Allocation, Metro Expansion and Review of VBG Ramji Scheme

The Cabinet urged the Central Government to immediately release Telangana's fertilizer quota for the ongoing Kharif season to avoid inconvenience to farmers. 

It also demanded that a larger share of urea produced at the Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited plant be allocated to Telangana, arguing that local allocation would reduce transportation costs and prevent shortages. The meeting also discussed the need for expeditious approvals and financial assistance for Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase II.

The government appealed to the Centre to facilitate the release of the loan proposed through the Indian Railway Finance Corporation and sought cooperation from Union Ministers and MPs representing Telangana in securing approvals for the crucial urban transport project. The ministers further opposed the proposed VBG Ramji Scheme, which is intended to replace the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee programme. A Cabinet Sub Committee comprising Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao, Seethakka and Vivek Venkatswamy was constituted to study its implications before taking a detailed position.

Digital Cabinet Initiative and Free RTC Travel for NEET Candidates

In a significant governance reform, the Telangana Government launched the Digital Cabinet system, ushering in a paperless mode of conducting Cabinet meetings. IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu distributed special tablets to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Cabinet colleagues.