Congress launches helpline for Telangana farmers

Hyderabad: The Congress party on Saturday launched a helpline for farmers of Telangana.

 The helpline, established by Kisan Congress under the leadership of its chairman Kodanda Reddy, will have a dedicated number 040-24601254. The calls will be answered by experts who will advise farmers on various issues.
 
Speaking after launching a helpline for farmers during the meeting of Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress party has been serving the farmers irrespective of whether it is in government or opposition. He said that the Congress party has been sincerely working for the welfare of farmers. 

While in power, during the ertswhile united Andhra Pradesh State, he said several schemes were implemented for farmers' welfare. They were given free power, remunerative prices were ensured and the previous UPA regime also waived off crop loans in a single take.
 
The TPCC president accused the present TRS Government of completely neglecting the agriculture sector. He said more than 4,500 farmers have committed suicide during the last four years. He alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's government would be remembered for harassing and torturing the farmers who demanded their rights. 

He said farmers were lathi-charged, implicated in false cases, tortured, chained and hand-cuffed under TRS regime. He said as against the demand of farmers for remunerative prices for their produce, TRS Government was launching Rythu Bandhu Scheme only in view of elections.
 
He said farmers wanted relief from their loans and interest burden. Instead of providing the required help, TRS Government is playing an election gimmick through new scheme. If voted to power in next elections, the Congress Government would waive off crop loans up to Rs. 2 lakh in a single take.
 
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that farmers have suffered huge losses in the hailstorms that struck various parts of Telangana during the last 15 days. While standing crops spread across lakhs of acres have been damaged, the farm produce which was brought to market yard for sale, has been badly damaged. He said paddy, maize, chilli, cotton and mango farmers are the worst hit. He demanded that the government complete the enumeration of losses and pay compensation to the affected farmers.
 
CLP leader K. Jana Reddy, former MPs Ponnam Prabhakar and V. Hanumantha Rao, MLAs Sampath Kumar and Vamshichand Reddy, former GHMC Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy and other leaders were also present.