Hans News Service Hyderabad

BJP State Chief Spokesperson NV Subhash criticised the Congress government in Telangana accusing it of betraying farmers and workers through neglect and inadequate policies. In a statement released on Friday, BJP leaders highlighted two major issues: the crisis in crop procurement and the insufficiency of the recently announced minimum wage hike.

He said on Friday that across districts, including Siddipet, Kamareddy, Adilabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Bhadradri, Vikarabad, and Mancherial, farmers are struggling to sell their produce. Paddy, maize, and sunflower crops remain piled up at procurement centres, with no weighing machines, gunny bags, or lorries available.

Farmers are forced to wait for weeks, even months, without any assurance from the government. BJP alleged that middlemen are exploiting the situation, buying sunflower at Rs 5,500–Rs 6,200 per quintal against the support price of Rs 7,700, leaving farmers with losses of up to Rs 2,000 per quintal.

The party further accused the Congress government of humiliating farmers by asking them to purchase gunny bags themselves at Rs 23 each, adding thousands of rupees in extra costs. In Mancherial, over 128 lorries have been stranded for days, unable to unload crops.

With no tarpaulins provided, farmers fear their produce will be ruined by rain, further distressing them. Reports of farmer suicides, including a recent case in Siddipet, were cited as evidence of the government’s failure to protect rural livelihoods.

On labour issues, the BJP condemned the Congress government’s announcement of minimum wage hikes, calling them inadequate and misleading. While the government claims to have raised wages after 12 years, workers argue that the revised amounts --ranging from Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000 --are insufficient given the rising costs of rent, electricity, education, and healthcare. BJP demanded that unskilled workers receive at least Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per month to cover basic living expenses.

The party also criticised wage disparities across zones, arguing that rural workers face the same living costs as those in urban areas. BJP insisted that the new wages must be uniformly implemented across all districts, including contract and outsourcing workers, and backed by strict enforcement.