YSRCP slams the government for not providing MSP to crops in the state

Tadepalli, November 22: YSRCP Krishna district president and former minister Perni Nani accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and the coalition government of failing to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for even a single crop in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to the media at the YSR Congress Party central office in Tadepalli, he questioned how the government has money for Eenadu advertisements and to pay lawyer Siddhartha Luthra to fight false cases against YSRCP leaders, while claiming to have no funds for crop loss compensation.

He said Chandrababu has repackaged old and already existing farming practices as “Pancha Sutralu” for publicity while farmers continue to struggle. He pointed out that Karnataka is diverting Krishna waters by raising the Almatti dam height, yet the Andhra Pradesh government speaks of water security without protecting irrigation needs. He added that canal infrastructure has collapsed and even gunnysacks are not available at procurement centres.

Perni Nani said farming costs have doubled, pointing out that paddy harvesters which earlier charged Rs 2,500 per hour during YSRCP rule now charge Rs 4,500. He questioned why the Chief Minister has met the Prime Minister several times without ever raising the problems of farmers. He alleged that crop damage has been deliberately under-reported to deny compensation and farmers of paddy, cotton, chillies, tobacco, maize, banana, coconut and mango are receiving some of the lowest prices ever.

He demanded Rs 20,000 per acre as crop loss compensation, free crop insurance for rabi, permission for rabi cultivation in the delta and MSP for black gram and green gram, saying the government is only focused on media publicity while farmers are being pushed into distress.