All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) vice-president Sarampalli Malla Reddy on Thursday slammed the TRS government for allegedly unleashing repressive measures against farmers distraught over denial of remunerative price for their produce, leaving them in financial ruin.
“Lack of foresight among persons at the helm of affairs and their failure to contain the fleecing of hapless farmers by traders and mediators at the market yards has deprived the farmers of remunerative price. This has caused a loss of around ₹8,000 crore to farmers in the State,” he charged.
He was speaking at a meeting jointly organised by the Telangana Rytu Sangham and Girijana Sangham on farmers’ issues at Manchikanti Bhavan here on Thursday.
Ten chilli farmers against whom cases were booked in connection with last month’s incident at Khammam Agriculture Market Yard were felicitated on the occasion.
“The way the chilli farmers were denied fair price, implicated in criminal cases, and handcuffed was a proof of the tyrannical rule in the State,” he alleged.
The State government’s apathy towards the distraught chilli farmers further worsened their plight, he further charged, accusing the TRS regime of pursuing “World Bank dictated” policies detrimental to the agrarian economy. He demanded that the government withdraw the cases against the chilli farmers, tender an open apology to the entire farming community and ensure remunerative price to the chilli produce.
The much-publicised Mission Bhagiratha would be confined to mere provision of pipelines and taps devoid of water supply. The big private firms, including multinational companies, engaged in a whopping ₹3,800 crore “bottled drinking water” business would not allow the scheme to become operational, he said.
Telangana Rytu Sangham vice-president Nunna Nageswara Rao, Girijana Sangham district general secretary Bukya Veerabhadram and others spoke.
