The Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the Congress government to immediately call for an all-party meeting and also invite the representatives of farmers’ associations for a full-fledged discussion on the travails of farming and allied wings like poultry and animal husbandry in Telangana.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP office on Thursday, vice- president and former MLA NVSS Prabhakar accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of “neglecting the farming sector after making tall promises” during the Assembly elections.
The BJP leader said that paddy procurement has been tardy even as farmers have piled up their produce near market yards. The number of paddy procurement centres has been insufficient but the State administration has failed to rise to the occasion, he added.
While the promises of paying a bonus of ₹500 per quintal and farm loan waiver are yet to be taken up, the farm insurance scheme has not yet taken off because the State government has not yet bothered to pay its share to be entitled for Central assistance.
Mr. Prabhakar charged that power cuts have become rampant and there is no water for irrigation needs, even as the promised compensation for crops, destroyed during unseasonal rains, have not been paid yet.
The extent of farming and production has also considerably come down across the districts. The talk of forming a separate corporation for farmers loans is ridiculous when the government has already crossed the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) limits for taking fresh loans. There is no subsidy input for seeds, drip and irrigation. The horticulture, animal husbandry and poultry industry are also in doldrums, he said.
‘Farmers cheated’
In a separate press conference on Thursday, former MP B. Narasaiah Goud said that the government’s plan to give a bonus of ₹500 per quintal for fine rice only, was nothing but ‘cheating’ farmers. He also questioned the delay in providing financial assistance of ₹12,000 to farm labour while Rythu Bharosa payment has been delayed under the guise of election model code. The government will have pay dearly if it continues to pay lip service to farmers issues, he added.
