Farmers get raw deal in welfare schemes, alleges TDP MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao

Parchuru : TDP leader Yeluri Sambasiva Rao has accused the State government of ignoring farmers in extending benefits under various schemes.

In a letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, the Parchuru MLA said that the farmers are suffering from the failure of the government and demanded him to implement welfare schemes and provide minimum support price to the crops.

He said that the government is spending more on publicity rather than solving the problems of farmers. He said that due to the failure of the government, the subabul, jamail and tobacco farmers are not receiving the price at least to cover the expenses, while the onion and tomato farmers in the Rayalaseema are committing suicides.

He said that the YSRCP government has decreased the input subsidy to the farmers from Rs 20,000 in the TDP government to Rs 16,000, even though they suffered from seven cyclones and untimely rains in the last two and half years.

He alleged that the government failed to pay the insurance premiums to the crops and failed to fulfil the promise of Rs 13,500 financial assistance per year by linking it to PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

He said that the government reduced the beneficiaries under Rythu Bharosa from 64 lakhs to 45 lakh farmers and 15 lakh to just 49 tenant farmers, and announcing many as ineligible based on their castes.

Sambasiva Rao listed that the Chandrababu Naidu government provided subsidies to mechanisation, drip irrigation, aerators, motors, bores, and micronutrients supply schemes and questioned why the present government failed to supply any of them.

He said that the government is linking the benefits to the dairy farmers to the milk collection for AMUL Dairy, and treating the farmers as thieves by installing meters to the agriculture motors and gradually stop the free electricity scheme.

He alleged that the government has failed to get approvals for the revised budget of Rs 5,500 crore and is deviating from the main objective of the Polavaram project by reducing the water storage height from 150 to 135 feet.

He said that they reduced the allotments to the other irrigation projects, surrendered the rights of the State to the Central government, failed to control neighbouring state from constructing unauthorised projects.

The TDP leader said the farmers are losing because of the e-crop booking system and demanded the government to immediately purchase the corn and chickpea that are remained with the farmers. He asked the Chief Minister to keep his promise to the subabul and jamail farmers by providing the minimum support price of Rs 5,000 per tonne.

He demanded to know the status of the natural disaster fund and price stabilisation fund promised for the farmers and advised the government to pay the dues to the paddy farmers.