The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Implement Swaminathan panel report: farmers

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Friday, Oct 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Implement Swaminathan panel report: farmers

Staff Reporter

— PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

Rythanga Samakya president Yerneni Nagendranath greeting Machilipatnam MP Badiga Ramakrishna and Union Minister of State for Human Resources Daggubati Purandeswari at the farmers meet on Thursday.

HANUMAN JUNCTION: Farmers and leaders of farmers’ associations took strong objection to the inordinate delay made by the United Progressive Alliance Government in implementing the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers under the chairmanship of M.S. Swaminathan.

A State-level farmers’ convention attended by Union Minister of State for Human Resources Daggubati Purandeswari and Bandar MP Badiga Ramakrishna saw several farmers rise from the audience and express their disappointment over the Central Government not bothering about Swaminathan Commission report even two years after it was submitted to the Government. “When will you implement it? It is only six months more to go to the polls.” said a furious farmer from the crowd.

The farmers relented after the organisers said that Ms. Purandeswari and other Congress leaders took an active role in mobilising support for the implementation of the commission report in Delhi last year. Rythanga Samaakhya state president Yerneni Nagendranath, who organised the convention, used the occasion to make a fervent appeal to the Union Minister and the Congress MP Ramakrishna for their continued support in securing the implementation of the commission recommendations.

Ms. Purandeswari assured the farmers of her active support to the cause of ensuring good prices to farm produce as recommended by the national commission. She said that she would use her good offices to further mobilise support for addressing the problems of farmers. She said that the Congress MPs from the State would work for getting Rs. 1,000 per quintal to paddy for this season.

Mr. Nagendranath said that one of the major recommendations of the commission was to see that the agricultural prices would be at least 50 per cent more than the cost of cultivation borne by the farmers. He stressed the need for immediately addressing the farmers’ problems, as the looming crisis in farm sector resulted in a situation where farmers were increasingly committing suicides. Farmers’ leaders Vadde Sobhanadereeswara Rao, Rythanga Samaakhya vice-president M.V.S. Reddy, CPI farmers wing leader Suryadevara Nageswara Rao and CPM rythu sangham president V. Subba Rao and others spoke.

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