Kakinada: We have cleared all dues to farmers, says Kannababu

Kakinada: Minister for agriculture Kurasala Kannababu lambasted TDP chief NChandrababu Naidu for betraying farmers and said that it was YSRCP government that has cleared pending dues of the previous government.

Speaking to media here on Thursday, the minister said that Naidu failed to fulfil his promises and is now blaming YSRCP government for his misdeeds. He questioned Naidu for not waiving farm loans. TDP was supposed to clear over 87,000 crore but had cleared only Rs 15,000 crore, he added. Ever since Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy came to power, several dues have been cleared that were kept in pending by the previous government. About Rs 960 crore pending amount was cleared under paddy procurement, Rs 385 crore for subsidy to seeds, Rs 963 crore for MSMEs, Rs 1880 crore under Vidya Deevena, Rs 680 crore cleared under Aarogyasri, Rs 8,655 crore for power subsidies to farmers, Rs 264 crore for AgriGold victims and Rs 1,046 crore for zero-interest loans to farmers were cleared by the current government which comes to around Rs 14,832 crore, he said.

Kannababu said that about 8.5 lakh tonnes farm products worth Rs 2,800 crore have been purchased from the farmers and asked the TDP chief had he ever done it during his rule.

The minister listed various other welfare measures being taken by the YSRCP government such as YSR Rythu Bharosa, MSP to crops, Janata Bazaars, labs, etc,. The pending amount was cleared for sugar cooperative units benefiting thousands of farmers. Even aqua units are being rescued by facilitating price to the products, he added.

While the Chief Minister is putting in relentless efforts to save agriculture and related sector in the state, the opposition is levelling baseless allegations, Kannababu said.