Hyderabad, March 28: The Telugu Desam Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party stressed the need for revisiting the existing policies governing agriculture sector for evolving a new framework that will address the problems faced by farmers.
While the TDP underlined the need for linking agriculture with the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme, the BJP wanted the segment to be brought under the concurrent list. They wanted the Centre to take steps to conduct special session of the Parliament to discuss about the crisis facing the farm sector to chalk out strategies to make agriculture remunerative.
TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu attended the 7 {+t} {+h} National Farmers’ Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Farmers’ Associations here on Sunday.
Mr. Chandrababu Naidu expressed concern over the Central government’s interference in the agriculture sector which turned the profession non-remunerative. The prices being fixed by the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices were not adequate. Instead, steps should be taken to ensure that farmers became traders by giving them freedom to directly trade their products nationally and internationally.
He supported the resolution passed by the conference seeking increase in the number of work days under the NREGA from 125 to 200 and assured that his party would raise the concerns expressed by farmers at national level.
Mr. Venkaiah Naidu quoted a study which revealed that 43 per cent farmers were prepared to quit the avocation and expressed concern that it would lead to food crisis in the country. Stressing the need for a separate budget for agriculture sector on the lines of Karnataka, he demanded that the restrictions on movement of farm products be removed and steps initiated to provide realistic crop insurance besides according top priority to linking of rivers.
-Agencies