TDP plans agitation to highlight farmers' plight

VIJAYAWADA: The Telugu Desam Party has chalked out an elaborate action plan to launch a string of agitations against what it calls the ‘anti-farmer' policies of the Centre and the State government.

“We are determined to expose the government on its failure to rescue the farmer from dire straits. The party will stage demonstrations on Thursday and Friday (June 23, 24) to educate farmers and people at the grass-root level on the anti-farmer policies of the Centre and the State government,” TDP Krishna district president Uma Maheswara Rao, told a press conference on Sunday.

He said the proposed two-day agitations would be preceded by constituency-level coordination committee meetings in all segments on Monday (June 20).

Explaining the financial burden on the farmer, he said the Rs. 930-a-bag of Bt. cotton seed was being sold for more than Rs. 2,000 in the black market. There was no proper kharif plan and cotton, tobacco and subabul farmers were deprived of support price. Reminding that Minister K. Parthasaradhy had admitted in an irrigation advisory committee meeting that there were flaws in the design of the proposed delta modernisation works, he said the State was not serious about solving the problems of the farmers. He said on June 23, the party leaders would stage dharnas in all constituencies. This would be followed by a demonstration at the tobacco auction centre near Keesara in Kanchikacharla mandal on June 24 under the leadership of former Union Minister and senior party leader Yerran Naidu to highlight the problems of tobacco farmers. Besides, the party would also launch a month-long programme across the district to educate people at the grass-root level on farmer-related issues.

‘Dismal scenario'

Referring to the proposed visit of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to the district on Tuesday, Mr. Uma Maheswara Rao said the party leaders would ‘take him to task' on failure to commence Machilipatnam port works.

State Telugu Yuvatha president Beeda Ravichandra Yadav lamented the ‘dismal' agricultural scenario. He said the farmer was denied remunerative and support price. Of the 140 lakh tonnes of the farm yield, the State agencies had procured only 20 lakh tonnes. He said cotton and groundnut farmers were at the mercy of greedy middlemen due to inadequate stocks of seeds at the government outlets. Party observer Srinivas Yadad said that fearing defeat in the local body elections the government had sought postponement of the same. Thata Jaiprakash Narayan, MLA Dasari Balavardhan Rao, Machilipatnam in charge K. Ravindra, former municipal chairman L. Prasad Rao, district party secretaries B. Arjunudu and Ch. Ramanujay were present.