The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Farmer leaders to petition Sonia

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Thursday, Sep 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Farmer leaders to petition Sonia

Special Correspondent

30-member strong delegation of opposition parties for Anantapur

-Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

For the ryots: Farmer leaders with CPI secretary K. Narayana, TDP deputy floor leader N. Janardhan Reddy in Hyderabad on Wednesday before leaving for Anantapur.

HYDERABAD: A 30-member strong delegation of farmer leaders of opposition parties left in a bus for Anantapur on Wednesday to petition the All India Congress Committee president, Sonia Gandhi on “burning issues” affecting farmers in the State.

The bus was flagged off by TDP leaders, N. Janardhan Reddy and R. Chandrasekhara Reddy, CPI secretary K. Narayana, TRS floor leader in Assembly E. Rajender and representatives of other parties, from the Assembly premises where the farmer leaders offered floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue.

The leaders including C. Muthyam Reddy (Telugu Rythu), K. Ramakrishna (AP Ryotu Sangham), Subba Rao (AP Rytu Sangham), Sugunakar Rao (Bharatitya Kisan Morcha), V. Surender Reddy (TRS) told press persons that they would try to meet Mrs. Gandhi and submit a memorandum. If they do not get one, they would stage a demonstration in Anantapur town.

In the memorandum they listed out how the State government’s mismanagement and negligence was responsible for the shortage of fertilisers. The farmers had no alternative but to take to the streets, stage protest rallies and raid godowns. Three farmers had so far lost lives in Warangal, Khammam and Guntur districts.

The other issues highlighted were shortage of diesel, denial of farm loans from banks forcing them to depend on private money lenders, low minimum support price for paddy and allotment of agriculture land for Special Economic Zones.

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Andhra Pradesh