Hyderabad: Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday countered allegations levelled by BRS working president KT Rama Rao regarding grain procurement, accusing the opposition party of indulging in “politics over farmers’ deaths” for political gain.

In a sharply worded statement, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that BRS leaders were spreading misinformation to create confusion among farmers. He asserted that the Congress government was conducting grain procurement under the “Praja Palana” model with complete transparency and was releasing procurement and payment details in real time.

The minister accused the previous BRS government of corruption and irregularities at procurement centres, alleging collusion with rice millers to exploit farmers. He termed it “unfortunate” that the opposition was politicising farmers’ deaths without verifying facts.

Responding to KTR’s criticism over procurement delays, the minister cited comparative statistics from previous Rabi seasons. He said that during the 2021-22 Rabi season under the BRS regime, 26.78 lakh metric tonnes of grain worth Rs.5,239 crore were procured, but only Rs.2,624 crore had been paid by May 22. Similarly, in 2022-23, procurement stood at 36.63 lakh metric tonnes worth Rs.7,530 crore, while payments were only Rs.3,160 crore.

In contrast, he said the Congress government had improved procurement and payment systems significantly. During the current Rabi season, 48.21 lakh metric tonnes worth Rs.11,499 crore have been procured so far, with Rs.8,203 crore already disbursed.

The minister also dismissed allegations of gunny bag shortages, stating that over 20.86 crore gunny bags were available statewide and that 1,300 vehicles were being used for grain transportation.