Amaravati, Nov 23 (IANS) YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged on Sunday that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s 18-month rule had devastated farmers as crop prices have suffered a historic collapse during the period.

He said that under Naidu’s negligent rule, farmers, crushed by the steep fall in the prices of paddy, maize, banana, coconut, cotton, pulses, millets, chilli, tobacco, onion, tomato, cocoa, sugarcane, mango and several other crops, are being pushed to such distress that they are now forced to plough back their own cultivated produce due to the lack of government support.

Instead of acknowledging the crisis he created, Naidu is trying to divert attention through publicity gimmicks like “Raitanna- Meekosam” while attempting to make farmers believe they are responsible for their own suffering, Jagan Mohan Reddy said in a post on ‘X’.

The Chief Minister has announced that he would actively participate in the “Raitanna – Meekosam” outreach programme scheduled between November 24 and 29, and again on December 3.

YS Jagan questioned how Naidu can spend crores on three chartered flights, six helicopters, foreign tours, weekend trips to Hyderabad, political vendetta cases, expensive lawyers, paid propaganda and his yellow media network, yet refuses to release even minimal funds to rescue farmers.

He mocked the government’s self-promotion about a teleconference with 10,000 people, asking why the Chief Minister cannot simply call 10 collectors and direct them to allocate funds to ensure fair prices. Despite prices crashing repeatedly in the past 18 months, the government has not sanctioned a single rupee for price stabilisation, he alleged.

The YSRCP reminded that Andhra Pradesh suffered nearly 16 natural calamities, but not once did Naidu provide input subsidy, announce compensation, or personally respond to farmers’ misery. Instead of supporting those protesting for justice or leaders visiting them, the government filed false cases to silence them.

He said announcements are made loudly, but in reality, nothing is implemented, as seen repeatedly with chilli, tobacco, mango and onion farmers.

YS Jagan accused Naidu of deliberately dismantling every security mechanism built during the YSRCP government, free crop insurance, RBKs, e-Crop, CMAPP, doorstep procurement, thereby removing the safety, assurance and guarantees earlier given to farmers.

Free crop insurance was scrapped, and the government has no answer for lakhs of farmers affected by cyclones and natural disasters who fall outside insurance coverage, nor has it announced when compensation will be provided.

The government still owes Rs. 600 crore in pending input subsidy and has not clarified when farmers affected by the most recent storm will receive relief, he said.

Naidu promised Rs. 20,000 per year under Annadata Sukhibhava apart from PM-Kisan, but in two years has given only Rs 10,000 out of the assured Rs 40,000. The situation has deteriorated so badly that farmers are now forced to buy fertilisers in the black market and depend on middlemen for survival, the YSRCP leader added.

–IANS

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