YSRC government spent Rs 61,400 Cr towards farmers’ welfare: CM Jagan

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday released the third tranche of ‘YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan’ funds. The Rs.1,120 crore relief is accompanied by a compensation of Rs. 646 crore for crops damaged during the Nivar cyclone. This will support 8.34 lakh farmers. A total sum of Rs.1,766 crore was deposited in the farmers’ bank accounts with a single click. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the state government has spent Rs. 61,400 crore towards farmers’ welfare in the last 18 months. 

He said that he believes the state would be better of when the farmer is happy and doing well. He stated that his government provided Rs.13,101 crore under YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan by giving Rs.13,500 every year to 51.59 lakh farmers, including tenant farmers and those cultivating the forest lands.

The CM slammed TD president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for being irresponsible and playing cheap political dramas pretending to have a concern about farmers. He said, “The Opposition leader lives far away from the land and close to the zoom app. Naidu had landed his son (Lokesh) and adopted son (Pawan Kalyan) in the state but he doesn’t have trust either of them as people rejected them both. The cyclone relief was announced on multiple occasions and the state had also purchased the damaged crops even though they are moist and germinated. Under relief measures, 43,000 quintals of seeds were given at 80 per cent subsidy. Despite taking so many measures, the Opposition leaders are still trying eke out political mileage by levelling false allegations.”

The Chief Minister stated, “The previous government that had abandoned the farmers and cheated them by promising to waive off Rs.87,612 crore of farm loans, had hardly spent Rs.12,000 crore in their five-year rule. The previous TD government left a huge pile of debts on farmers including the subsidy for crops, seeds, insurance, electricity arrears, and zero-interest loans. The arrears left by the previous government were paid by the YSRC government including providing an ex gratia to 434 farmers families who committed suicide during Telugu Desam rule.”

With regard to the input subsidy, the Chief Minister said that the state government had paid Rs.1,038.46 crore between June-November compensating the crop loss due to heavy rains and floods. He said,  “Also, the government had cleared the unpaid dues of the previous government of Rs.960 crore for paddy procurement, arrears of Rs.383 crore were also paid under the seed subsidy, Rs.17,430 crore on free electricity and aqua farmers, including Rs.8,655 crore of debt. To provide 9 hours of free electricity during day time, the state government had initiated to strengthen the feeders at an expenditure of Rs.1,700 crore. He said that the government had cleared Rs.904 crore of pending arrears for zero-interest loans put by the previous government and credited Rs.510 crore towards YSR Zero-interest crop loans and given Rs.1,968 crore under YSR Crop insurance.“

Chief secretary Nilam Sawhney, minister for agriculture Kurasala Kannababu, special chief secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, commissioner of agriculture Arun Kumar, special commissioner of disaster management Kannababu, special commissioner of marketing department P.S. Pradhyumna, AP Agri Mission vice-chairman M.V.S. Nagireddy, and other officials were present at the event.