Congress party has alleged that the Central and State governments were playing with paddy farmers of Telangana by not giving clarity on the procurement of rice and making confusing statements on the issue.

Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader M. Bhatti Vikramarka said the farming community of Telangana, particularly those cultivating paddy, were in total confusion as the views/statements of the Centre, State BJP and State government were divergent.

While the Centre (FCI) had written to the State Government (Civil Supplies Corporation) earlier this year making it clear that it would not procure boiled rice in Telangana henceforth, the State government had been asking farmers not to go for paddy cultivation, particularly in Rabi (Yasangi) season as there would be no procurement of boiled rice, which is produced in the season, and that it would not procure paddy produced this Rabi.

On the other hand, the State BJP leadership had been asking farmers to cultivate paddy and that it would fight with the State government and make it purchase every grain produced in the State. Instead of making plans to purchase paddy produced in the State, the State government was washing its hands off from the responsibility by blaming it completely on the Centre.

He suggested the State government take up an awareness campaign on crop (paddy) change and going for other suitable alternative crops for couple of seasons before asking them to stop cultivating the cereal crop for the reasons being cited by the Centre. Asking them to go for other crops all of a sudden would push the farming community into utter confusion.

On the issue of river water disputes, the Congress leader said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao could not bring clarity on the issue in spite of his several visits to New Delhi and the injustice continues to be heaped on Telangana.