Tadepalli/Anantapur, Nov 24: YSRCP official spokesperson and former MLA Kaile Anil Kumar, along with former minister Sake Shailajanath, accused the TDP-led coalition government of betraying farmers and pushing Andhra Pradesh into an unprecedented agrarian crisis. They said that despite promising Rs. 20,000 under Rythu Bharosa before elections, the government paid only Rs. 10,000 of the Rs. 40,000 assured and removed seven lakh farmers, while the previous YS Jagan government credited Rs. 13,500 annually, providing Rs. 67,500 to 54 lakh farmers and Rs. 34,378 crore in five years, compared to just Rs. 4,685 crore in two years now. They alleged that while claiming a financial crisis, the government added Rs. 2.27 lakh crore in debt, spent hundreds of crores on foreign trips and summits, scrapped the Price Stabilisation Fund, and still refuses to clear Rs. 600 crore pending input subsidy.
They said the recent Montha cyclone reduced yields from 40 to 25 bags per acre, while harvesting charges shot up from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 4,500 due to TDP-backed machine syndicates, forcing tenant farmers, who constitute 60–70% of cultivators , into unbearable losses. Procurement has collapsed, gunny bags are unavailable, and Rythu Seva Kendras are pushing farmers towards brokers and rice mills. Paddy worth the MSP of Rs. 1,790 per quintal is being bought for Rs. 1,300–Rs. 1,500, with one kilo deducted per 40 kilos, citing moisture, despite mills having dryers. Entire families are drying paddy on roads from Vijayawada to Machilipatnam, yet officials are threatening that applying for crop-loss compensation will block procurement. They said daily farmer distress, suicides, and helplessness expose a government more focused on Panchasutralu publicity than saving annadatas.
Calling this the most anti-farmer administration in the state’s history, the leaders demanded immediate MSP procurement of every grain without restrictive conditions, continuous supply of bags, transport and labour, input subsidy release as per enumeration, restoration of government-paid crop insurance implemented under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, support for tenant farmers, and dismantling of the broker–mill–political mafia. They warned that if the government continues to ignore and harass farmers, YSRCP under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch statewide protests until justice, dignity and security are ensured.
Minister Sandhyarani must be sacked immediately
