AP Govt urged to implement Swaminathan panel recommendations

Vijayawada: Members of various associations and leaders of farmers on Tuesday demanded that the State government implement Swaminathan Commission recommendations for the benefit of farmers.They took part in a round-table meeting at Dasari Bhavan to discuss remunerative price to farmers’ produce.

CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna said that they would stage massive protests across the State soon along with people's organisations. He warned the government that they would conduct protests in the model of farmers of Maharashtra.

Expressing concern over the hardships of farmers, he lamented that the farmers were not in a position to market their produce. The CPI leader also said that the State government did not pay compensation of Rs 33,000 crore to farmers who faced threat of submergence due to Polavaram Project.

Former minister Vadde Sobhandreeswara Rao said that the entire farming community is in doldrums. The governments are not providing remunerative prices to farmers produce, he said. Quoting the recent announcement by the Centre regarding minimum support price for agriculture produce, he said that it was not useful to farmers. 

The governments are not interested in implementing their election promises towards the implementation of remunerative prices. He called upon the farmers to agitate for remunerative prices for agriculture produce.

All India Kisan Sabha national vice-president Ravula Venkaiah asked the government to implement the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission. He also requested the government to implement Kerala model agriculture loan waiver system.

He said that 194 farmers associations and 21 political parties extend support for introduction of private bill in Parliament for the implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

MLC Katti Narasimha Reddy said that he would raise the voice in the Legislative Council for the implementation agriculture loan waiver scheme successfully. He pointed out that the government is yet to pay Rs 8,000 crore under agriculture loan waiver scheme.  AP Rytu Sangham president Y Kesava Rao, other leaders Anumolu Gandhi, Harinath and K Nageswara Rao were also present.