Neglecting the construction of irrigation projects and their maintenance, Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, has miserably failed to come to the rescue of the farming sector pushing the State into severe drought, said senior TDP leader and Rajya Sabha member, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, on Monday.
With the inefficient rule of Jagan and false decisions the farming sector suffered huge loss and the Jagan Mohan Reddy Government has adopted a totally negligent attitude in getting the mandals declared as drought-hit and the Central relief too, Ravindra Kumar told media persons. With the anti-farmer policies of the State Government, 93.2 per cent of the farmers’ families in the State are facing a heavy debt burden, he added.
The State is now facing this untold hardship as the State Government did not complete the Polavaram project of which 73 per cent of the works were completed during the TDP regime, Kakanakamedala observed. This apart, Jagan did not bother to complete the other irrigation projects and the maintenance of the existing ones, he said.
Maintaining that due to natural disasters and deep drought conditions the fame ring community has suffered a loss of Rs 80,000 cr this year, the Rajya Sabha member said and added that with the looting of the paddy farmers by the YSRCP brokers this section has suffered a loss of Rs 21,000 cr in these five years. While the aqua farmers had suffered huge losses, a whopping Rs 10,000 cr, due to the withdrawal of subsidy in power supply to them while the other sections suffered loss due to lack of fertilisers, seeds and pesticides, he felt.
When Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister 1.42 cr acres were under cultivation during both Kharif and Rabi but after Jagan came to power during both the seasons not even 30 lakh acres were cultivated, Kanakamedala pointed out. This apart, the Chandrababu government had spent Rs 65,000 cr in five years for construction of irrigation projects and for providing infrastructure for the farmers, this Government in these five years had spent only Rs 30,000 cr, he added.
Jagan who promised Rs 12,500 for each farmer as financial assistance has confined it to merely Rs 7,500 while Chandrababu Naidu had extended a financial help of Rs 1 lakh each to the farmers in the shape of loan waiver, under Sukhbir and other such schemes, he said. Ravindra Kumar is of the firm opinion that unless Jagan, who is the anti-farmer and who has cheated the community, is sent home, the farmers will not get a favourable atmosphere in the State.
