Farmers yet to get seeds, fertilisers: Ex-MLA

VISHAKHAPATNAM: Former MLA and TD leader Gandi Babji has alleged that farmers in Andhra Pradesh are yet to get seeds, fertilisers and other inputs though the Kharif season is fast approaching.

Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, Babji maintained that these farm inputs should have been made available at Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) across the state by now.

He recalled that the government promised to pay Rs 13,500 to each farmer under Rythu Bharosa, which amounts to Rs 54,000 each during the past four years. But it is not known how many farmers have got the Rythu Bharosa amounts.

“Under TD rule, each farmer got an amount of Rs 1.15 lakh,” the former MLA pointed out

He said during the last four years, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed nine cyclones, which caused losses over 54 lakh acres. But the YSRC government has not paid any compensation until now.

Accusing Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of lying, Babji said the YSRC government had promised to complete Polavaram project by 2022. But the Chief Minister has not yet answered what is causing the delay.

He underlined that though AP should have got Rs 35,000 crore from the Centre for Polavaram, state government seems to be satisfied with Rs 10,000 crore it has received.

The former TD MLA said the Jagan Mohan Reddy government has put a burden of Rs 2.4 lakh on each farmer of AP on an average. It stands second in the country in suicides by tenant farmers, he underlined.