Opposition, TJAC demand dissolution of farmer panels, stage dharnas

Warangal: The workers of Congress, BJP, TDP and T-JAC have staged massive agitations across the erstwhile Warangal district on Tuesday demanding the State government withdrawal of GO 39 and 42.

At Warangal Urban district headquarters, agitations were staged at Kazipet and Warangal tahsildar offices by the Opposition leaders and workers. The district Congress president N Rajender Reddy addressing the gathering at Kazipet, alleged that GOs released by the State government were detrimental to farmers’ welfare.

The Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, was deceiving the farmers on the pretext of farmer welfare policies. The government was claiming the GO 39, released to set up farmers’ coordination committees, was meant to help the farming community but in reality, it was against their interests.

The coordination committees were aimed at benefitting the TRS workers instead of real farmers. The committees would damage the peaceful atmosphere in the villages as the government intends to appoint the party workers in the committees, Rajender Reddy noted.

In the wake of High Courts’ directions to the State government on GO 39, the government must scrap the GOs 39 and 42. The government was admonished by the courts on several in the past. The government was failing to do groundwork and frame suitable objectives in issuing the GOs.

If the TRS leaders made part of farmer coordination committees, the implementation of Rs 4,000 per acre financial assistance towards to farmers would be affected as the benefits would reach only those associated with party, Rajender Reddy complained.

Speaking to presspersons in Warangal city, Congress working president Rajanala Srihari warned of serious consequences if the government fails to withdraw the GOs with immediate effect.

Setting aside the gram panchayats and other local bodies at village-level in setting up the coordination committees would be against the aspirations of Mahatma Gandhi, who wanted powers to local bodies.

It was unconstitutional to give upper hand to TRS in farmer’s coordination committees. The committees have to be appointed by conducting grama sabhas and by involving the district administration otherwise they lack legal validity, Srihari noted.

With help of farmer coordination committees, the ruling party was trying to gain political advantage in the next elections. But the Congress along with other Opposition parties would fight against the government until the GOs were scrapped.

The party workers who stood on their knees and shouted slogans against the government at Warangal tahsildar office attracted the attention of the passersby. Similarly, at Mulug a large number of Opposition parties’ workers staged dharna on NH 163.