Rythu Deeksha to bring Chandrababu back to senses

01 May 2017 1:59 PM

Guntur: YSR Congress Party chief and Leader of Opposition in the AP Assembly, YS Jagan Reddy on Monday began a two-day Rythu Deeksha on Nallapadu road in Guntur to highlight Chandrababu’s ‘failure’ to safeguard the interests of chilli and turmeric farmers who are badly hit by the slump in the market prices. The YSRCP chief launched the deeksha amidst a rousing welcome by party leaders, activists and farmers.

Addressing the gathering at deeksha, YS Jagan said that each farmer in the state is undergoing turmoil due to unfavorable conditions for farming as well as for selling the produce in the market.

The plight of farmers in the state is deteriorating year after year as the Chandrababu Naidu government ditched them by defaulting on Rs 2306 crores, Rs 326 crores and Rs 1762 crores of input subside in the last three years, YS Jagan said.

He said that Chandrababu, who staged dharna at MLA quarters in 2010 demanding Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 input subsidy for each farmer when he was in opposition, completely ignored the issue after becoming the chief minister.

Chandrababu's government completely failed to safeguard the interests of chilli farmers following slump in the prices from 14,000 per quintal last year to Rs 4,000 per quintal this season.

"The prices of turmeric, chili, tomatoes, and even onions have gone down drastically when the farmers are trying to sell. They don't have sufficient cold-storage facilities and the charges were hiked at the existing facilities. Farmers are sleeping on roads for days together as there are buyers at markets. But still the government is not in a position to take any action to safeguard their interests. Chandrababu, who should help the farmers, is doing nothing," YS Jagan said.

The YSRCP chief hoped that his two-day Deeksha would open Chandrababu's eyes so that he can see the reality and do something to mitigate the farmers' problems.

Seeing the plight of farmers, we have decided to begin this Deeksha. Chandrababu is not a situation to protect the interests of farmers, YS Jagan said.