Former MLA and senior TDP leader, Jyothula Nehru, said on Wednesday that the aqua farming has taken a reverse trend after the YSRCP came to power.

Nehru told media persons that the aqua farming was a major revenue generation source during the TDP regime but now the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been brought down from Rs 240 to Rs 210 only to loot the aqua farmers. With his inefficient administration, Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has totally damaged the aqua farming sector in the State, he added.

Stating that the State Government is hitting the aqua farmers so hard, Mr Jyothula Nehru felt an immediate need to save the sector and those farmers depending on it. He said that the administration is resorting to filing false cases against the TDP leaders who are questioning the Government on this. The former MLA also asked the state government to set up a system to save the tomato farmers too.

Condemning the filing of false cases against the TDP leaders who are fighting for the protection of the aqua farmers, Nehru said that several farmers are resorting to suicide as MSP is not being paid for them. Even the subsidies have been withdrawn pushing them into further crisis, he said adding that Andhra Pradesh is now on top in the farmers suicides.

The Jagan Mohan Reddy government is not taking any measures for the welfare of the farming community, he stated and demanded that MSP be paid for all the farm products, including aqua and tomato. Nehru also demanded that the false cases filed against the TDP leaders be withdrawn forthwith.