Tadepalli: Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a sharp attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over the increase in aqua feed prices, accusing the government of colluding with aqua feed companies and pushing aqua farmers into deep distress.
In a strongly worded statement, YS Jagan alleged that under Chandrababu Naidu’s governance, no sector has been spared from exploitation and that aqua farmers are now becoming victims of corporate profiteering backed by the government.
He said that every welfare and regulatory measure introduced during the previous వైయస్ఆర్సీపీ government to support aqua farmers had been systematically weakened after the change in government. Questioning the role of the Andhra Pradesh State Aquaculture Development Authority (APSADA), Jagan asked how feed companies could raise prices without the knowledge or approval of the regulatory body chaired by the Chief Minister himself.
YS Jagan further alleged that the feed companies had gained the confidence to defy both the law and the government because of their close association with the ruling party. He accused the government of remaining silent despite repeated hikes in feed prices and alleged that commissions and political understanding between the government and feed companies were behind the inaction.
The former Chief Minister stated that during the వైయస్ఆర్సీపీ government, laws were introduced to protect aqua farmers from syndicates, middlemen, and exploitative companies. APSADA was established as a regulatory institution to monitor feed and seed quality standards, regulate prices, and ensure fair pricing for aqua products, he said.
Jagan also highlighted that his government had supplied electricity to aqua farmers at just Rs.1.50 per unit and extended full support to the aquaculture sector. However, after the present government assumed office, all those systems were allegedly dismantled, leaving farmers vulnerable and financially distressed.
He criticized the government for failing to support farmers even when aqua product prices crashed during the first year of the current administration, saying the government acted as a “silent spectator” while farmers suffered severe losses.
Demanding an immediate rollback of the increased aqua feed prices, YS Jagan said temporary assurances from the government were not enough. He warned that if the revised prices were not completely withdrawn, వైయస్ఆర్సీపీ would launch large-scale protests along with aqua farmers across the State.
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