Hyderabad, December 20: Representatives of all farmers’ associations here on Monday urged the Governor, Mr E S L Narsimhan, to intervene and advise the State government to enhance the input subsidy amount and arrange for procurement of all agricultural produce ensuing Minimum Support Price (MSP) at the earliest, which could pave the way for withdrawal of indefinite hunger strike by the TDP Chief, Mr Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
The delegation, comprising leaders of Telugu Rythu, AP Rythu Sangham, Rythu Samakhya, BKM, Kisan Sangh, Akila Bharath Rythu Kuli Sangam, Koulu Rythula Sangam and Seadesi Jagaran Manch, met the Governor in Raj Bhavan on Monday at 11 am and submitted a memorandum to him to this effect.
Speaking to the media after submitting the memorandum to the Governor, the Telugu Rythu general secretary, Mr Nallamalla Venkateshwara Rao, said that the State has witnessed six natural calamities during the last one year —- drought, floods, excess rainfall, cyclones and untimely rainfall. During the current kharif season alone, crops were damaged in the Jal cyclone and heavy rainfall twice, of which one at the time of harvesting inundating all the produce in the fields. Paddy crop was affected in 20 lakh acres, cotton in 10 lakh acres and another 10 lakh acres of other crops like chillis, groundnut, Bengal gram, turmeric, vegetables and horticultural crops. As a result, farmers were left with 30 lakh tons of discolored and sprouted paddy, 50 lakh tones of other paddy and eight lakh tons of paddy stocks of the preceding year. There were also no buyers for the produce forcing distress sales by the farmers at Rs 500 to 600 as against MSP of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,023 per quintal, he added.
Mr Nallamalla said that the government agencies have not opened purchase centers till date and the millers were going on strike repeatedly. Godowns were scarce and the existing godowns were full of food grains of other states. Though the State permitted inter-State movement of rice, it was limited to only 1.5 lakh tons and slated to expire by December 31. The government, after much dilly dallying, has relaxed only 10 per cent of discolored and sprouted paddy without value cut as against 24 per cent relaxation given in 2004. The total scenario was gloomy with no hope of disposing paddy at MSP by the farmers, he added.
The AP Rythu Sangan, affiliated to the CPI, Mr K Ramakrishna, said that the State government has not even fixed State Advisory Price to sugarcane like other States who fixed the same at around Rs 2,000 per ton. Sugar factories in the State were offering less than Rs 2,000 per ton which was not remunerative due to increase in cost of cultivation, he deplored.
The measly attitude of the government towards farmers’ issues has caused great distress among farmers and 55 farmers committed suicides during the last four days alone, he pointed out. The recent rain havoc should be declared as a national calamity, he added.
The Kisan Sangh State convenor, Mr P Anji Reddy, said that though Mr Chandrababu Naidu has undertaken indefinite hunger strike from December 17 , the government remained adamant and refusing to concede the just demands of farmers in their hour of crisis. The situation was alarming with farmers agitating all over the State for redressal of their genuine demands and falling health of Mr Naidu who was fighting on their behalf.
The delegation pleaded with the Governor to intervene and direct the State government to initiate measures to solve the unprecedented crisis.
The president of AP Rythu Sangan, affiliated to CPI-(M), Mr V Subba Rao, the Rythu Samakhya convenor, Mr Y Nagendranath, the BKM national executive member, Dr G Sowri and Koulu Rythu Sangam State president, Mr U Narayana Rao, were in the delegation that met the Governor.
—-NSS—