YS Sharmila alleges five major ‘frauds’ by Andhra govt against farmers

YS Sharmila alleged that Andhra Pradesh’s NDA government committed five major “frauds” against farmers, failing to provide MSP, timely fertilisers, and crop relief. She claimed the five-point welfare plan was publicity rhetoric, leaving cultivators in financial distress and mounting debt.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila on Tuesday alleged that the NDA coalition government committed five major “frauds” against farmers instead of delivering welfare.

She criticised the government’s approach to the agriculture sector over the past 17 months, accusing it of abandoning the farming sector and pushing cultivators into deep financial distress.

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“Not five formulas for cultivation, but five frauds-Chandrababu’s so-called five-formula welfare is completely bogus. For 17 months, they have abandoned agriculture to the winds,” said Sharmila in a post on ‘X’.

According to the Andhra Pradesh government, the five-point formula is water security, demand-based cultivation, agri-tech, food processing and government support for farmers.

Sharmila alleged that the Andhra government’s claims of a “five-formula plan for farmers’ welfare” were nothing but a publicity-driven rhetoric.

She accused the government of failing to respond to agricultural losses arising from natural disasters and ignoring farmers’ urgent appeals for relief.

Pointing out the alleged absence of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for any crop in the past 17 months, Sharmila said cultivators were left at the mercy of fluctuating market prices.

The APCC chief further alleged that under the Annadata Sukhibhava programme (which offers Rs 20,000 annual financial aid to eligible farmers), half the farmers were excluded while several subsidy schemes were discontinued, worsening rural distress.

Even when tomato, onion and banana prices collapsed to Re 1, the government wound up operations without setting up a price stabilisation fund, the Congress leader claimed.

Further, she alleged that the failure to supply fertilisers and seeds on time pushed farmers into mounting debts, leaving many on the brink of suicide. Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the ruling TDP.