The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre has deceived the farming community again by increasing the prices of fertilizer by 50% or more and that the party would continue its fight until the hike is rolled back or absorbed by the Centre as subsidy or otherwise.
Speaking to newspersons here on Thursday, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao, legislators M. Gopal, L. Ramana and V. Gangadhar Goud said the farm sector was ruined by the policies of both the BJP and Congress-led governments at the Centre and the present hike in fertilizer prices in addition to increase in petrol and diesel prices would further burden farmers badly, who are already hit by poor minimum support price and procurement policies.
Stating that better justice is being done to the farming community under the TRS rule in Telangana led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao compared to leaders known for supporting farmers such as Devi Lal and Charan Singh, Mr. Dayakar Rao said it is only the TRS government that spent over ₹2.71 lakh crore on agriculture and allied sectors over the last seven years.
The PR and RD Minister said while the TRS government is helping farmers with several schemes such as 24×7 free power supply to agriculture, irrigation projects, farm loan waiver, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and others, the BJP government at the Centre is working against farmers’ interests in different forms..
He stated that spending of agriculture is much higher in Telangana than what it was in combined Andhra Pradesh under Congress rule. He pointed out that as a TDP leader, the present TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy had fought against the anti-farmer policies of the Congress, but he is now supporting the same policies.
Mr. Dayakar Rao also criticised the Centre for not linking the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to reduce the burden of cultivation costs on farmers in spite of suggestions from different sections. He pointed out that Telangana Assembly had adopted a resolution in support of linking MGNREGS to farming but it was overlooked by the Centre.
