Joint movements remedy for farmers’ issues: CPI

Ongole (Prakasam district): CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna demanded that the Union government implement Swaminathan Commission recommendations. He participated in a roundtable meeting on farmers’ issues held after CPI leaders’ bus yatra reached Ongole on Monday. He observed that joint movements by the organisations are the remedy for farmers’ issues and demanded the public representatives find a solution for the farmers’ problems.

CPI Prakasam district leaders gave a grand welcome to the bus yatra, led by party State leaders with the theme ‘Save the Nation- Protect the State’, in Ongole town on Monday. As part of the bus tour, the CPI leaders inspected Mallavaram dam and observed the washed-away gate.

Speaking at the roundtable meeting presided over by AP Rythu Sangam general secretary KVV Prasad at Mallaiah Lingam Bhavan, Ramakrishna said agriculture sector in the country is in crisis and CPI will support farmers’ fraternity in all movements they take up and participate in them personally. He pointed out that farmers with wetland and abundant water sources are also not able to get minimum support price.

Ramakrishna said that if the government had implemented the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, the situation would have been better. He alleged that the BJP government at the Centre has failed to keep its promise to double farmers’ income by 2024 and is unable to reduce farmers’ suicides. He criticised that the Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government in the State is in pathetic state and failed to fit the gate of Gundlakamma project by spending at least Rs 2 crore. He said that the AP government has become a commission agent for Amul Dairy and allotting the assets of cooperative dairies in the State to it. He said that the YSRCP government failed to complete at least a project in the State. It threw the farmers and public into trouble by reducing the height of Polavaram project. He said that though there was 26TMC ft of water in Gandikota project of Kadapa district for the last four years, farmers didn’t get any water as the tributary canals are not complete.

AP Rythu Sangam president V Krishnaiah demanded waiver of Rs 4.50 lakh crore in agriculture loans, as the Union government has waived off Rs 15.42 lakh crore loans of industrialists and corporate companies. He said that they are preparing for another major movement with 500 farmers’ organisations on November 27 to demand the Union government to fulfill the promises given to farmers and asked everyone to make it a grand success.

CPI and farmers’ leaders Kamepalli Srinivasa Rao, S Kotireddy, Nethi Maheswara Rao, Chunchu Seshaiah, Devarapalli Subbareddy, G Eswaraiah, ML Narayana, Vadde Hanumareddy and others also participated in the roundtable.