Farmers in trouble because of Govt’s negligent attitude, says KTR

Instead of waiving loans, the government through bankers was mounting pressure on farmers by issuing legal notices to clear farm loans.

Rajanna-Sircilla: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday said the negligent attitude of the Congress government was pushing farmers into misery.

Though standing crop in about 15 to 20 lakh acres across the State had withered due to the drought conditions, the State government was least bothered about it, he said, reiterating that the drought was a man-made one that was prevailing only because of the negligent approach of the Congress government.

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Speaking after inspecting crops damaged due to the recent hailstorms in Sarampalli of Thangallapalli mandal on Thursday and interacting with the farmers, Rama Rao said that on December 9, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had assured to waive farm loans up to Rs.2 lakh.

However, there was no mention of the loan waiver even after four months in office.

Instead of waiving loans, the government through bankers was mounting pressure on farmers by issuing legal notices to clear farm loans.

Before the elections, former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had kept Rs.7,000 crore ready to give farmers Rythu Bandhu assistance for the Yasangi season.

However, instead of giving this to farmers, the Congress government was making payments to contractors. Last year, the BRS government had supplied water to agricultural fields in Rajanna-Sircilla district by filling the Annapurna reservoir, Ranganayaka Sagar and other water bodies by lifting Godavari water from Medigadda and Mid Manair reservoir.

Despite the sinking of three pillars of Medigadda reservoir, there were chances to draw water from the reservoir and supply it to farmers by building a cofferdam in Meddigadda.

However, the Congress government had no time to take up repair works. Instead, they were politically targetting the Kaleshwaram project and Chandrashekhar Rao, he said.

Revanth Reddy, who promised Rythu Bharosa to tenant farmers as well as farm labourers and to waive farm loans, had made 14 visits to Delhi so far, but not kept his promises, he said, asking the State government to write to the Election Commission since farmers were in trouble and about 200 farmers had already died by suicide.

Demanding a compensation of Rs.25,000 per acre for damaged crops, Rama Rao asked the government to open paddy purchasing centres immediately to procure the crop.

As promised before the polls, the government should provide a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal as well to farmers. Asking farmers not to resort to extreme steps, Rama Rao said BRS leaders were visiting fields across the State and interacting with farmers to instill confidence among them.