And that is what exposes the political agenda behind Modi’s announcement at Mahabubnagar, all aimed at just getting some mileage in the forthcoming polls to the State Assembly.
Published Date – 08:19 PM, Sun – 1 October 23
Hyderabad: When failure began staring him in the face, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to go against what his own party’s union Minister declared in the Parliament. And thus came Sunday’s announcement on a National Turmeric Board.
Till a few months ago, the Centre had no plans to set up a turmeric board in the State and had made clear this as recent as the just concluded monsoon session, when union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said there was no proposal to establish a turmeric board or any other spice-specific board in the country.
“The Spices Board, a statutory autonomous body, set up under the Spices Board Act, 1986 is entrusted with the responsibility of promoting 52 spices including turmeric, coriander, and chilies. Therefore, there is no proposal to establish a Turmeric Board or any other spice-specific Board in the country,” she had informed the Parliament.
And that is what exposes the political agenda behind Modi’s announcement at Mahabubnagar, all aimed at just getting some mileage in the forthcoming polls to the State Assembly. Most importantly, he has just repeated what his party candidate, Arvind Dharmapuri, had announced during his campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
BRS MPs Venkatesh Netha Borlakunta, Kavitha Malothu, Dayakar Pasunoori and Gaddam Ranjith Reddy have been raising the issue of setting up the National Turmeric Board in the State in the Lok Sabha and everytime the reply from the government has been that there was no such proposal.
The union Minister’s statement had triggered strong resentment in Telangana with the BRS pointing out that Arvind Dharmapuri had made just another false poll promise. BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, who contested against Arvind from Nizamabad, had also pointed out how the BJP MP was unable to convince the Centre to set up the Turmeric Board.
Turmeric farmers in Nizamabad had also put up a series of hoardings mocking Arvind Dharmapuri for failing to deliver on his promise.
In fact, since 2006, farmers have been demanding the constitution of the National Turmeric Board to address the issues related to farmers and ensure MSP. Turmeric farmers, who are facing severe stress following poor returns, have been asking for a board, on the lines of the tobacco board, to take care of their issues.
During the 2019 Parliament Polls, Arvind Dharmapuri, along with union Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, had promised to establish a Turmeric Board for Nizamabad’s turmeric farmers. Arvind had also made a written promise on a judicial bond paper saying he would establish a Turmeric Board within five days of winning the 2019 elections. His associates printed copies of the pledge and distributed them across the turmeric-growing regions of the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency. But nothing happened.
How Modi’s promise ends up remains to be seen, especially given his and his party’s track record.
