TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday condemned the killing of two party activists at Pesaravai of Gadivemula mandal in Kurnool district.
In a statement, Mr. Naidu said that former sarpanch Vaddi Nageswara Reddy and former president of Kurnool District Cooperative Society Vaddi Pratapa Reddy were done to death when they were returning home after attending the funeral rites of a relative.
The assailants attacked them with hunting sickles, Mr. Naidu said, and suspected the role of YSRCP MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy in the incident.
Stating that law and order had deteriorated in the State under YSRCP rule, Mr. Naidu alleged that the police were dancing to the ruling party leaders’ tune. He said 30 TDP activists had been killed in the last two years.
Mr. Naidu further alleged that about 1,500 TDP leaders were targeted and their properties attacked, but the police had done nothing to check the trend.
Mr. Naidu conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family members of slain party activists, and said the party would extend all support to them.
‘Mitigate farmers’ woes’
Mr. Naidu also took up the issues pertaining to farmers with the Chief Minister. In a letter addressed to Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy, he sought steps to mitigate the farmers’ woes.
He said that payment of ₹4,000-crore dues to the farmers was pending in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and East and West Godavari districts. He alleged that minimum support price was being denied to the farmers.
During the TDP term, the amount pertaining to procurement of the produce used to be deposited in the farmers’ accounts within 48 hours, Mr. Naidu claimed. The YSRCP government had kept a window of 21 days, and even this deadline was not being met, which was compounding the woes of the farmers, he said.
Farmers were unable to pay interest on loan and not in a position to start kharif operations either, he said, and accused the government of pushing the farmers into a debt trap.
Dues of ₹2,500 crore were pending disbursal in the Godavari districts alone. Procurement of produce was also being ignored, he alleged. Only 27.87 lakh tonnes of paddy was procured till date against the promised 45 lakh tonnes, he said.
The groundnut crop was totally damaged in the Rayalaseema region due to natural calamities during kharif-2020 and no input subsidy was paid to the farmers till date, Mr. Naidu alleged.