Former minister and senior TDP leader, Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, on Wednesday said that Chief MInister, Jagan Mohan Reddyas no right to talk about the farmers in the State as he has done nothing for the farming community till now.
Chandramohan Reddy told media persons here that the payments to be made to the farmers after purchasing the farm products are getting abnormally delayed and even the government is not purchasing the farm products properly. Jagan should learn lessons at least from Telangana as the neighbouring State has purchased 70 lakh tonnes of grain last year while this year it went upto one crore tonnes, the former minister stated.
With regard to acqua farmers, the formation of the Cabinet committee resulted in more losses for them, Somireddy said adding that the panel is only looting the acqua farmers at the rate of Rs 5,000 per each tonne in the shape of commission. The ministers panel is making at least Rs 5,000 cr per annum in the shape of these commissions, he said.
The dues to be paid to the farmers have been kept pending for months together, he said. At least Rs 247 cr dues are pending in Nellore district alone while Rs 900 cr is pending in the both Godavari districts, he pointed out. These dues are only for milling and transport charges, he stated.
Chandramohan Reddy said that the less said the better about the ration rice scandal in the State. There is a large amount of corruption in the export of rice from Kakinada and Krishnapatnam ports, he added. Also, on the one side there is no minimum support price (MSP) for farm products and on the other large quantity in the name of wastage is being charged from them. The farmers are thus losing heavily, he stated.
Somireddy felt that the farmers were being subjected to humiliation by the State government. “Jagan in an advertisement published on October 17, said that Rs 1.33 lakh cr has been spent for various agricultural schemes, including Rs 45,899 cr for purchase of grain and Rs 7,16 cr for purchase of other farm products, Is he giving these amounts as a dole to the farming community. It is nothing but humiliating the farmers,” Somireddy remarked.
Thus, Jagan is only cheating the farming community in the State and thus he has no right to talk about the farmers, the former minister maintained. Somireddy demanded the State government to release a white paper on all these issues and wanted the ruling dispensation to come to the rescue of the palm oil farmers.
Chandramohan Reddy said that the Reddy community is given a major share in the recent transfers of the Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs). Jagan, on the advice of Prashanth Kishore, uttered blatant lies while in Opposition that one particular community was given preference in police officers transfers should respond now, Somireddy added.
