Strongly criticising the Congress Party for not taking steps to help the farmers this khariff season even after the onset of monsoon, the YSR Congress Party today staged dharnas across the State demanding proper supply of agriculture inputs and bank loans. ‘We demand supply of seeds at the marked price besides other agriculture inputs and power supply. The banks should be asked to provide loans and the State should waive the interest arrears,’ party spokesperson Vasireddy Padma told reporters here. She said the nine-hour power supply should be provided uninterrupted and steps should be taken to check black-marketing of seeds and fertilizers.
BT Cotton seeds priced at Rs 950 were being sold up to Rs 3,000 and hoarding of stocks should also be looked into, she charged. Drawing a contrast between the previous YSR term and the present Kiran Kumar Reddy government, she alleged, the state government had hiked the prices of fertilizers 12 times in the last two years, resulting in a burden of Rs 1,000 crore to farmers while YSR during his tenure had not increased the price even once and the nine hour power supply to farmers which was in the election manifesto is never been adhered to by the State Government. Ms Padma said the State government had failed to give any assurance to farmers in the khariff season. The Bankers’ meet was not organised and the loan policy was not announced which is forcing the farmers to go to the moneylender and fall in the debt trap, she also charged. Party President YS Jaganmohan Reddy had taken up many struggles for the farmers’ cause. The main demand of the party of creating a Market Stabilisation Fund of Rs 3,000 crore was not accepted, he said. UNI