YSRCP has no moral right to ask for farmers' votes: Kala Venkat Rao

Amaravati: TDP politburo member Kimidi Kala Venkat Rao on Sunday demanded that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government explain why the farmers should vote for the YSRCP supported candidates in the panchayat elections when they suffered so much injustice in the past 20 months.

In a statement here, the former Minister wondered whether the farmers should vote for the YSRCP for not paying the fourth and fifth installments of the crop loan waiver scheme and thereby hurting over 32 lakh farmers in the State. Over Rs 2,000 crore arrears were still kept pending, he pointed out. The much promised 'Sunna Vaddi' (zero interest loans) was also not implemented by the ruling party.

The TDP leader listed out how the ruling party has committed so many betrayals and how it was not paying its promised Rs 12,500 each to over one crore farmers under crop investment support. The Jagan regime was paying just Rs 7,500 to far less than 50 per cent of farmers. Despite this, the State government was making false claims on giving Rs 13,500 while Rs 6,000 of this was being given by the Centre.

By doing so, the YSRCP was avoiding payment of Rs 30,000 to each farmer over five years.

Venkat Rao deplored that the Chief Minister promised not to increase electricity charges but has imposed Rs 1,300 crore burden on people. Similar promise was made on the RTC fares but a Rs 800 crore burden was imposed in this respect. By raising fuel prices and property taxes, the government put an additional burden of over Rs 2 lakh crore on voters. By cancelling the previous TDP regime's free sand policy, the YSRCP govt caused severe sand shortage leading to loss of work opportunities for over 30 lakh construction workers and over 30 of them committed suicide.

The TDP leader said Rs 15,000 under 'Amma Vodi' was being given just to 43 lakh women as against the election promise of 80 lakh mothers. The Rs. 2,000 unemployment allowance was stopped to six lakh youth. The pensions were promised to SC, ST, BC and Minorities beneficiaries above 45 years but it was not fulfilled. Jagan promised to create lakhs of jobs by bringing Special Status but forgot about this after coming to power.