Tue May 13 13:50:13 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

Former Telangana Minister and BRS leader Harish Rao has accused the Congress government of negligence leading to heatstroke deaths among farmers waiting to sell their paddy. He claims farmers are facing long delays at procurement centers due to slow processing and demanded compensation for the deceased’s families. He criticized the government’s priorities, citing the Chief Minister’s focus on events like the Miss World pageant while neglecting agricultural issues. He also highlighted unfulfilled promises related to farmer support programs like Rythu Bharosa and Rythu Bima.

**News Article:**

**Heatstroke Deaths Spark Political Firestorm in Telangana: BRS Blames Government Negligence**

**Hyderabad, May 13, 2025** – The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is mounting pressure on the Congress government in Telangana, alleging negligence in the face of rising heatstroke deaths among farmers awaiting paddy procurement. Former Minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao, at a press conference today, directly attributed the deaths to government delays in processing and shifting paddy stocks from procurement centers.

“These are deaths due to government negligence,” Rao stated, highlighting the plight of farmers forced to wait weeks to dispose of their harvest. He cited the recent death of G. Kishan in Mahabubabad, along with other reported cases in Jagitial, Jangaon, and other districts, and demanded an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh for each affected family.

Rao accused the government of failing to meet procurement targets, claiming only 40 lakh tonnes had been procured so far against a promised 70 lakh tonnes. He further alleged that farmers are facing payment delays, with approximately ₹4,000 crore still outstanding for paddy already procured, and that the promised bonus of ₹512 crore has not reached the farmers.

The BRS leader also criticized the Chief Minister’s attention to the Miss World pageant venue while allegedly neglecting agricultural reviews. “The Chief Minister did not find time to review agriculture even once so far, ” Rao said.

He also attacked the government’s handling of key farmer welfare schemes, Rythu Bharosa and Rythu Bima. Rao questioned the Deputy Chief Minister’s revised payment schedule for Rythu Bharosa and highlighted unfulfilled promises regarding increased per-acre support and the full implementation of the Warangal Rythu Declaration promises.

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