Vijayawada: Address tenant farmers’ problems, Medha Patkar demands govt
Social activist and founder of National Alliance of People’s Movements Medha Patkar interacting with women farmers during a public hearing conducted at MBVK Bhavan in Vijayawada on Wednesday. Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao is also seen.Photo: Ch Venkata Mastan
Vijayawada (NTR district): Medha Patkar, founder of National Alliance of People’s Movements, and one of the leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, on Wednesday demanded that the State government amend the Crop Cultivator Rights Act, 2019 to help the tenant farmers in getting compensation for the crop loss suffered due to natural calamities and get other benefits like crop loans and insurance. She demanded that the government should remove the requirement for the owner’s signature for obtaining a Crop Cultivator Rights Card known as CCRC.
The social activist pointed out that lakhs of tenant farmers in Andhra Pradesh are suffering hardships due to lack of CCRC. She said the tenant farmers would get bank loans and benefits of all schemes including disaster compensation, crop insurance, and procurement if they get the CCRC.
She along with farmers leaders Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao and PS Ajay Kumar, eminent socio-political activist for the rights of agricultural workers and Adivasis, national secretary of All India Agricultural & Rural Workers Association (AIARLA) participated in the public hearing conducted at MBVK Bhavan here on Wednesday.
Around 150 farmers, mostly tenant farmers, from various parts of Andhra Pradesh participated in the public hearing and narrated their problems.
Medha Patkar, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao and Ajay Kumar acted as the jury for the public hearing.
Later briefing the media, the trio demanded that the State government take measures to address the grievances of the tenant farmers.
Ajay Kumar said only four lakh tenant farmers got CCRC against 30 lakh tenant farmers in the State.
Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao said the CCRC Act should be amended and the clause making the land owner’s signature compulsory should be removed. He said the Revenue Officers at the village-level should confirm the application from the tenant farmers using the system of village secretariat and Gram Sabha. He said the government should undertake a large-scale campaign to inform the landlords that the land rights of the landlords are not endangered by CCRC.
He demanded that interest-free crop loans should be given to the actual cultivators including tenants.