AP to clear all dues of farmers, says minister Nani

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Civil Supplies Kodali Venkateswara Rao alias Nani on Sunday refuted allegations that the government has held back payments to farmers after procuring their yields. The allegation was made by former CM Chandrababu Naidu and other Telugu Desam leaders.

Addressing the media here, the minister said the state government would clear all dues of farmers in due course. "It has already paid Rs 3,400 crore to them for paddy procurement and it would clear the pending amounts to the farmers immediately after receiving the pending central funds."

“More funds for farmers are on the way. NABARD would release Rs1,600 crore this week. Another Rs 1,600 crore would be released on July 25,” he said.

Nani said only 55 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was procured during Naidu’s term but the YSRC government is procuring 83 lakh metric tonnes. “CM Jagan has asked officials to make the payments to farmers in 21 days. This was far better as the Naidu government used pay farmers after three to six months.”

The minister said, “Naidu and his party are in deep trouble. Distressed over the inability of Nara Lokesh and TD’s worsening organisational situation, Naidu is trying to merge the TD into the BJP.”

Nani said Naidu was unable to digest the humiliating defeats of TD in successive elections. "There is no chance for Naidu to even get the opposition leader status in 2024."

“Naidu who was CM for 14 years did not implement any welfare steps for the weaker sections. “Did he ever consider these communities as humans,” he asked.

 He hailed Chief Minister Reddy for his efforts to ensure social justice and allocating 58 per cent posts of the chairperson of various corporations to the BCs, SCs, STs and minorities. “Never before in history had such a thing happened.”