TDP urges govt to provide MSP for paddy produce

PNS|Narasaraopet

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former minister Prathipati Pulla Rao has alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy-headed State government has failed to protect the interests of farmers and demanded that the government purchase paddy produce at MSP.

Addressing a press conference here in the party office on Saturday, Pulla Rao regretted that Andhra Pradesh had stood at second place in the suicides of tenant farmers and in third place in the suicides of farmers in the country.

“During the three and half years YSRCP regime, 1,674 farmers have committed suicide as per the official statistics and over 3000 farmers, common men, and youths have committed suicides. The government has assured to extend Rs 7 lakh financial help to the families of the farmers who had committed suicide and did not fulfil the same,” the TDP leader slammed.

The families of farmers who committed suicides are in a pathetic state as they have lost breadwinners. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy announced setting up a price stabilization fund by earmarking Rs 3000 crore but he failed to do so, he flayed.

“The farmers in the state are not being offered remunerative prices for their produce and are unable to sell their produce in the market. The farmers were left in the lurch. The farmers are leaving farming and searching for other works to eke out a livelihood. The ministers and MLA should feel ashamed of it,” the former minister lashed out.

Pulla Rao claimed that the TDP during its regime had given priority to agriculture and provided tractors, agriculture machinery, micro irrigation equipment, and motors on subsidized prices and also provided 9 hours of quality power. The TDP government provided MSP to the farmers and purchased the produce through market yards.

Responding to the Health minister Vidadala Rajini’s comments, Prathipati Pulla Rao dared her to contest in the election from Chilakaluripet. “Vidadala Rajini got political recognition when she was in the TDP and now she is criticising Chandrababu Naidu,” he lashed out and demanded the government to take steps to purchase paddy produce from the farmers at MSP.

Narasaraopet TDP in-charge Dr.Chadalavada Aravinda Babu said that the YSRCP brought people by paying money to the BC meeting and they spent a few minutes and left the meeting venue.

The YSRCP leaders devoted time to the BC meeting only to criticise Chandrababu Naidu and ignored speaking on the welfare of BCs, he lambasted. He claimed that the people of the state were disenchanted with the YSRCP government and the TDP would come to power in the next election.

He demanded the government come forward to protect the interests of farmers whose crops were damaged due to pests. TDP state secretary Nallapati Ramachandra Prasad, State minority official Spokesperson Mannan Sharif, and other leaders were present.