The Congress if voted to power will waive farmers’ loans up to ₹2 lakh and ensure minimum support price of ₹6,000 for cotton and ₹10,000 for chilli per quintal, said former MLA and government chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy.
Addressing villagers in Azamanagar and other places, he said the TRS was engaged in diverting public attention from serious issues facing the farmers and other sections of the society. “All that farmers asked for is minimum support price (MSP) but this government says it will give ₹4,000 per acre input subsidy. This is ridiculous. Why not check the exploitation by middlemen and help farmers get good price for their produce?” he sought to know.
Mr. Reddy said if the Congress comes to power, it would institute market intervention fund and ensure that the government agencies procure all the farm produce at minimum support price. He undertook a 40-day ‘Rythu Bharosa Yatra’ on foot to cover 170 villages in his Bhupalpally Assembly constituency. He started his yatra on Monday and would tour all the seven mandals. The Congress leader accused TRS of indulging in large-scale corruption by according top priority for long-term projects. The TRS leaders were making money from the projects neglecting the farmers. The TRS launched a propaganda promising heaven to all sections and was showing the Opposition in poor light, he said.
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“Who constructed the irrigation projects in the country or in this State? It was the Congress. The Congress launched MNREGS, RTI, massive farm loan waiver, right to education and what not?. What did the BJP or TRS do in the last four years?” he asked.
Mr. Reddy said people expected a lot from the TRS, but it failed to fulfil the promises made. The farmers continue to commit suicide, the youth continue to agitate for jobs. The Aarogyasri scheme was diluted and fee reimbursement took a back seat. The much talked about free KG to PG education is yet to see the light of the day, he observed. “People in the State are waiting to defeat the TRS and are in favour of the Congress party that granted statehood to Telangana”, he added.