Warangal: Congress seeks solace for rain-hit farmers

Warangal: The State government, which encouraged the cultivation of fine variety of paddy in kharif, needs to bail out the farmers, former Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao demanded.

Speaking at a protest as part of the TPCC's State-wide call organised by the Warangal unit of the Congress here on Thursday, he demanded the government to announce a minimum support price and bonus to the paddy.

"The government itself promoted and the 75 per cent farmers followed the suit, this despite the high investment involved in the cultivation of fine variety paddy. Unfortunately, the farmers failed to get a good yield due to various reasons. As if it was not enough, the government was also dilly dallying in procuring the paddy," Rao said.

He demanded the government to purchase the entire produce by offering Rs 2,500 per quintal, in addition to the bonus. Rao also urged the government to enumerate the crop losses due to recent incessant rains and help the farmers.

Rao demanded the government to announce a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to the farmers, who lost their crops in the floods.

Referring to the farm bills, Rao found fault with the Central government for going ahead with its policies that are detrimental to the interests of the farming sector.

"The farm bills are to affect crores of farmers across the nation. They all end up in the clutches of private traders with the closure of agriculture market yards," Rao said.

The Centre was protecting the interests of the corporate sector instead of the farmers, he alleged. All the small and marginal farmers would end up losing their lands to the corporate houses.

Rao found fault with the State government for not passing a resolution against the farm bills.

"KCR is indirectly supporting the farm bills," former MP said.

Referring to the layout regularisation scheme, Rao said that it's nothing but fleecing the

common man.

Warangal DCC President Naini Rajender Reddy demanded the government to announce crop loan waiver at one go.

Senior leaders E Venkatram Reddy, Namindla Srinivas, EV Srinivas Rao, B Srinivas Rao, Meesala Prakash, Kothapally Srinivas, B Ashok Reddy, K Venkat Reddy, M Sridhar Goud and Kuchana Ravali were among others present.