Vijayawada: Centre’s policies blamed for crisis in agri sector

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sanghala Samanvaya Samiti state convener and former minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao expressed concern over the agriculture sector plunging into crisis in the country. He said 1.50 lakh farmers committed suicide across the country after BJP came to power in 2014.

He addressed a Maha Dharna staged by the farmers, agriculture labourers and other associations at Gymkhana grounds in Gandhi Nagar here on Monday.

Sobhanadreeswara Rao said the BJP had promised to implement the M S Swaminathan Committee recommendations including 50 per cent increase in support prices to agriculture produce before the 2014 elections but later ignored the promise.

He underlined the need to defeat the BJP as it betrayed the farmers of the country. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that the farmers’ income will be doubled by 2022 but their problems are increased and agriculture sector is in crisis. The BJP government is implementing pro-corporate policies. It is time farmers dethrone this government,” he said.

Sobhanadreeswara Rao alleged that the BJP government had assured to withdraw the three black laws that are detrimental to the interest of farmers but is now trying to implement them backdoor. He demanded the Central government to withdraw the decision of installing prepaid smart meters to the pump sets. He alleged the Union government is trying to privatise the public sector undertakings and the BJP government is handing over the national wealth to Adanis and Ambanis.

“Farmers have been demanding loan waiver since 2018 but the government waived the loans of corporate companies worth Rs 14.50 lakh crore. Whose money was this?,” he said.

All India Kisan Sabha president Ravula Venkaiah said the farmers had waged a historical battle in Delhi for many months and the Central government had registered more than 75,000 cases against them in Delhi and other places in north India.

AITUC state general secretary G Obulesu, Prakasam district farmers leader Chunduru Rangarao, Rythu Coolie Sangham leader M Girish, Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers Association general secretary P Jamalayya, water bodies associations president Alla Gopala Krishna Rao and other leaders spoke on the occasion.

Several thousand farmers, members of farmers association, CITU, AITUC, All India Kisan Sabha and others participated in the Maha Dharna.