Hyderabad, March 18 (NationPress) In a show of solidarity, BRS legislators from the opposition staged a protest outside the Telangana Assembly on Wednesday, advocating for the disbursement of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for maize farmers throughout the state.

Brandishing maize cobs, BRS MLAs and MLCs assembled at the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial Gun Park before making their way to the Assembly.

Under the guidance of BRS deputy leader T. Harish Rao, the protestors chanted slogans demanding the government establish procurement centers for maize and ensure the payment of the MSP.

Additionally, they insisted on a Rs. 500 bonus for maize farmers.

Harish Rao highlighted that, believing in the government's assurances, farmers cultivated maize across 8 lakh acres as part of a crop diversification initiative.

He pointed out that despite repeated appeals from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao—who encouraged farmers to diversify crops rather than solely grow paddy—farmers followed their advice and planted maize.

However, he noted that although the harvest has been available in the market for the past 15 days, the state government has yet to open procurement centers.

This has forced farmers to sell their maize—typically valued at an MSP of Rs. 2,400—to middlemen for a mere Rs. 1,600 to Rs. 1,700.

The BRS pointed out that farmers are not only suffering losses due to the absence of a support price but are also facing the consequences of unseasonal rains that have dampened maize drying in market yards, resulting in distress for the farmers.

Compounding their woes, hailstorms in the past two days have wreaked havoc on crops, including maize and mangoes, along with various other agricultural products.

Harish Rao criticized the government for its failure to implement the crop insurance scheme that was heavily promoted in the previous budget. Moreover, farmers have not received any input subsidies for the past two years.

He urged the government to promptly gather reports on the crops affected by the rains in various districts and carry out an enumeration survey without delay. Input subsidies should be disbursed immediately to provide essential support to the impacted farmers.

At the Assembly entrance, tensions escalated when security personnel barred BRS legislators from entering with maize cobs. The BRS alleged that marshals attempted to seize the maize from Harish Rao, injuring his hand in the process.

The BRS claimed that the Chief Marshal behaved as if advocating for farmers was a crime.

The MLAs questioned whether advocating for farmers’ rights constituted a wrongdoing on the part of the BRS. They alleged that the state government has once again revealed its anti-farmer stance.

In response to the marshals' actions, BRS legislators expressed their outrage and staged a protest at the entrance.

Chanting slogans in condemnation of the police and the government's attitude, the members eventually made their way into the legislature.