YS Jagan Mohan Reddy pushed AP farmers into debts: Kala Venkatrao

Mangalagiri: TDP politburo member Kimidi Kala Venkatrao on Tuesday slammed the YSRCP government for pushing agriculture into such a crisis that the farmers were being forced to abandon their harvests on the roads following lack of remunerative prices in the market.

He said that the farmers were getting stuck in a deepening debt crisis because of the utter negligence of the farm sector by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The other day, the green chilli harvest was thrown on the roads at Giddaluru in Prakasam district.

Now, tomatoes were abandoned on the road in the Chief Minister's own Pulivendula Assembly constituency as the price fell to just 50 paise per kg.

In a statement here, the TDP leader recalled how the YSRCP leaders promised to form a price stabilisation fund of Rs 4,000 crore before the elections. But once they came to power, the ruling party leaders started breaking all their promises.

The price of onions was once Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per 50 kg bag but now it has gone down to just Rs 100 to Rs 300. The farmers were not even getting back the money spent on engaging labour.

Venkatrao expressed concern that the life of an average farmer came under severe threat under the indifferent regime of Chief Minsiter Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Rythu Bharosa Kendras were not listing details of the crops and not purchasing the crops grown by the farmers.

The TDP leader said that the costs of inputs went up under the YSRCP rule and there was over 30 per cent increase in the cost of cultivation for each farmer. He asked why the subsidised agricultural implements were not being given to farmers for the last 28 months.

Drip irrigation schemes were also cancelled, which caused serious problems in the four districts of Rayalaseema, Nellore and Prakasam districts.

There was full water in reservoirs but the farmers were not getting supply. Hundreds of tmcft water was being released into the sea but no effort was made to divert the same into the canals and irrigation channels.