Naidu’s govt failed to act amid Cyclone Threat for Farmers

Nellore, October 26: Former Minister and senior YSRCP leader Kakani Govardhan Reddy has strongly condemned the Chandrababu Naidu government for its gross negligence and complete inaction in the wake of the impending cyclone, particularly with regard to the welfare of farmers. He said that while farmers across Nellore, Kurnool, and Ongole districts are facing devastation due to heavy rains, the government has neither issued any warnings nor taken preventive measures to protect their livelihoods.

Govardhan Reddy pointed out that after the recent paddy transplantation, there has been a severe shortage of urea and the government failed to set up procurement centres, forcing farmers to wait helplessly as their crops were washed away in sudden downpours. “In Nellore district alone, over two lakh acres of crops have been damaged, while another one lakh acres in Kurnool, Ongole, and surrounding areas remain inundated,” he said, questioning whether the Minister for Agriculture is even functioning or aware of the farmers’ plight.

He noted that mango and cotton farmers have already suffered heavy losses, and now with the latest rains, nearly 50,000 acres of additional crops have been destroyed. Maize farmers, he said, incurred losses of nearly Rs. 12,000 per acre, while the paddy farmers in Krishna and Godavari deltas face severe threats due to the cyclone. Despite widespread destruction, there has been no announcement of compensation or relief from the government, Govardhan said.

“Chandrababu Naidu neither understands farmers nor values agriculture,” he remarked, recalling that Naidu has not held a single review meeting on the agriculture sector since taking office. “He insulted tomato and onion farmers when they struggled with market crashes. During Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, no farmer ever suffered due to a lack of urea. But today, the Naidu government has deliberately dismantled the farmer-friendly RBKs (Rythu Bharosa Kendras), ignored input subsidies, and turned the Agriculture Department into a den of brokers and middlemen,” he said.

Kakani accused the government of betraying the farming community by reducing the promised Rs. 20,000 under ‘Annadata Sukhibhava’ to just Rs. 5,000, calling it “a classic act of deception.” He mocked the government’s recent claim of distributing urea through ration-like cards as “a national disgrace that exposes the failure of Chandrababu’s administration.”

“History will remember Chandrababu Naidu as the Chief Minister who brought drought, distress, and disaster to Andhra Pradesh’s farmers,” he stated, adding that if the government continues to ignore the agricultural crisis, the YSR Congress Party will stand firmly by the farmers to demand justice and accountability.

He also slammed the government over the Kurnool bus tragedy, alleging that it was being falsely attributed to a biker’s negligence, while in reality, the biker was intoxicated with liquor procured from illegal belt shops operating under the patronage of the ruling alliance. “These deaths are government-sponsored murders,” he said.

Responding to former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, Kakani ridiculed his comments on the Visakhapatnam Data Center project. “It is laughable that a man who failed in his 10th-grade examination speaks about data centers,” he said. “Somireddy’s daily attacks on Y.S. Jagan only reflect his desperation to please Chandrababu Naidu. Before questioning Jagan’s mental stability, Somireddy should first examine his own health condition and learn to speak within his limits,” Govardhan Reddy asserted.