The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Thursday decided to intensify agitation across Andhra Pradesh against the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government’s decision of fixing power meters to agricultural pumpsets.
A decision to this effect was taken at the ‘Rythu Poru’ meet organised by the party at Manubolu in Sarvepalli Assembly constituency on Thursday.
“This anti-farmers’ decision of the YSRCP government at the behest of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre will turn out to be a hangman’s noose for farmers. It is a conspiracy to scrap the free power scheme. We will not allow fixing of power meters at any cost,” said TDP Polit Bureau member Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, whilel addressing the ‘Rythu Poru’ meet.
The farmers, he alleged, were increasingly under pressure to grow crops in adverse conditions with the cost of all farm inputs going up year after year on the one hand and remunerative prices for their produce remaining elusive on the other.
“The TDP has decided to step up agitation in area-specific farmers issues,” said Mr. Chandramohan Reddy.
Alleging that the the paddy growers in Nellore district were not getting the Minimum Support Price (MSP) with rice millers ruling the roost, the TDP leader said the farmers were made to wait for up to six months for payment after selling their produce through the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK). “As per norms, the payments should be made within 21 days. With this delay, a majority of farmers are not in a position to grow crops this kharif,” he alleged.
Subsidy cut
The TDP leader further said that shrimp farmers were in an unenvious position as the cost of cultivation had gone up by several folds following the cut in power subsidy, adding that the previous TDP government had ensured power to aquaculture firms below ₹2 per unit.
“Now, the farmers are forced to shell out ₹4.80 per unit, making shrimp farming unviable,” he said.
Referring to farmer suicide, the TDP leader said Andhra Pradesh stood third in the country on this count. “Unable to continue cultivation, farmers are declaring crop holidays. The wrong policies of the YSRCP government are to be blamed for it, he alleged.
