Hyderabad: Alleging that the TRS rule proved “disastrous” for farmers in the state, Congress in Telangana Sunday claimed if voted to power in the 7 December assembly elections, it would bring the much needed change in the lives of farming community.
Addressing ‘Rythu Garjana‘ meeting at Kodad, Telangana Congress Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy noted that farmers needed better facilities for farming and a good Mimimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. Claiming that farmers neither got any support from the state or central government nor good MSP for their produce, Reddy said, “farmers need good MSP and not alms.”
He also alleged that the crop insurance scheme was not implemented properly, and no farmer received any compensation for the damage they suffered due to natural calamities like drought or unseasonal rains in the state.
“Situation turned worse and more than 4,500 farmers committed suicide since the formation of Telangana state,” a party release quoted Reddy as saying.
He accused caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of “failing” to take any measures to provide required relief through MSP to the farmers, who incurred losses in every season due to rising prices of fertilisers, pesticides, seeds and other input costs.
Dismissing the contention of caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that the loan waiver promised by Congress was not practical, the TPCC Chief said his party would waive crop loans up to Rs 2 lakh if voted to power.
Reddy also promised that farmers would be given bonus in addition to the MSP for 17 major crops by setting up a Market Intervention Fund of Rs 5,000 crore, the release added.