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Hyderabad: Two farmers died at procurement centres in Telangana on Sunday, May 3, leading the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to hit out at the ruling Congress, accusing them of negligence and delaying procurement.

According to local reports, a farmer identified as Venkanna died at a procurement centre in Sudhanapally village of Kuravi mandal, Mahabubabad, after being struck by lightning while he was trying to protect his crop from rain.

On the same day, another farmer named Gaurayya died of a suspected heat stroke at the Rayapol Grain Procurement Centre in Ibrahimpatnam constituency. He had reportedly been drying his paddy stock for the past three days after officials informed him of the moisture content.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has termed the deaths as “murders” caused by the Congress government’s negligence.

“Not waiving loans, no proper electricity, not even providing Rythu Bandhu, when they bring the crop painstakingly grown to the market. Due to the Congress government’s negligence, there is no purchase. Just yesterday in Rangareddy district, Gaurayya, in Mahabubabad, Venkaiah, two farmers died. These are definitely murders committed by the Congress government!” he said.

He made the remarks during his visit to a groundnut procurement centre in Sadashivapet, Sangareddy district, on Monday, May 4.

KTR interacted with farmers in Sangareddy and asked them about the issues they faced at the crop procurement centre. He also demanded that Congress procure paddy, groundnuts, and jowar without any conditions.

“The Congress had announced that it would procure 9.5 million metric tons of rice this Yasangi (Rabi season), but so far, they have procured only 900,000 metric tons and haven’t paid even a single rupee to those farmers,” KTR said.

“In Sangareddy district, not even a single rice procurement centre has been set up. The massive scam in the Civil Supplies Corporation is the primary reason for not procuring crops,” he added.

Meanwhile, BRS leaders, including General Secretary T Jeevan Reddy and former MLA Sunke Ravishankar, staged a sit-in at the Pudur National Highway in Jagtial, demanding immediate paddy procurement.

After a two-hour demonstration, they were detained by the police.