How Will Farmers Survive Without Minimum Support Price For Their Produce?

Gannavaram: Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly and YSR Congress Party President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that Kaikaluru stood testimony to TDP government's false promises. He pointed out that the town was an example of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's tall promises made during the elections which he least bothered to fulfill. Speaking at a massive public meeting held here today as part of historic mass outreach programme Praja Sankalpa Yatra, YS Jagan said despite four TDP leaders being part of Modi ministry at the Centre, they had not even spared a thought for Kaikaluru and Kolleru.

The YSRCP Chief alleged that the TDP ministers at the Centre and Chandrababu had not bothered to develop Kolleru and its surroundings over the last four years. He expressed his concern over the fact that people in Kolleru were migrating to different places in search of livelihood. He said that the attack on BJP President Amit Shah's convoy in Tirupati was done at the instigation of Chandrababu, "but he wouldn't dare to come out and claim it," he said.

YS Jagan said that TDP government was the only government in the world which did not care about farmers. He recalled how former Chief Minister late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy had completed the Pulichintala project after understanding the problems of the people. But unfortunately in the last four years, Chandrababu was not able to provide a drop of water through the project. "The AP government has to pay Rs 145 crores to Telangana government as part of the pending amount due to Pulichintala. AP CM is not concerned about it. If the outstanding amount is cleared, thousands of acres of land would get water."

The Leader of Opposition said that Chandrababu had successfully introduced middlemen into aqua business, thereby affecting the aqua farmers badly. The farmers had mentioned they were managing to rear prawns and fish, since there was no water available. He said that the cost of fish had fallen from Rs 110 to Rs 80, similarly prawns which were Rs 450 was presently being sold at Rs 200. How will the farmers survive if there is no minimum support price for their produce, he added.