*Govt ignores farmers while chasing beach shacks: Gadikota Srikanth Reddy*

Tadepalli, June 18: YSRCP General Secretary Gadikota Srikanth Reddy criticised the coalition government for neglecting farmers while focusing on policies such as beach shacks, stating that it has failed to provide even subsidised seeds and fertilisers. He said the government has betrayed farmers by failing to implement its election promises, leaving maize, Bengal gram, tobacco, mango, and groundnut cultivators to suffer heavy losses without ensuring Minimum Support Price or seeking effective intervention from the Centre. He said not a single family of a farmer who died by suicide during the past two years has received compensation, exposing the government's complete indifference towards the farming community.

Srikanth Reddy said agriculture flourished under the YSRCP government through the RBK system, which supported farmers from seed to sale by supplying subsidised seeds, fertilisers, and market assistance while ensuring crop loss compensation before the end of every season. He recalled that farmers received Rs.67,500 in investment support over five years and tenant farmers were also covered under welfare schemes. In contrast, he said the coalition government renamed the scheme but failed to fulfil its promise of providing Rs.20,000 annually as crop investment assistance, with nearly eight lakh farmers excluded in the second year alone. He further stated that while the government spends crores on luxury travel through special aircraft and helicopters, it has failed to rescue distressed mango farmers standing in long queues outside juice factories and horticulture farmers across Rayalaseema facing severe losses. He added that the horticulture transformation of Rayalaseema was achieved through free power, 90% drip irrigation subsidy, employment guarantee works, and free sapling distribution under Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, not through the present government's policies.