TD demands nationwide debate on farm laws
Naidu expressed concern that despite having 22 MPs in Lok Sabha, the ruling YSR Congress has not broken its silence on the farm laws
VIJAYAWADA: Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday called for a comprehensive nationwide debate between representatives of political parties and farmer associations for resolving apprehensions within farmers over the three contentious agricultural acts passed by the centre.
He said opinions and suggestions of all stakeholders should be taken into consideration, so that a better deal could be provided to farmers through new policies.
Naidu expressed concern that despite having 22 MPs in Lok Sabha, the ruling YSR Congress has not broken its silence on the farm laws, which amounts to betrayal of farmers. He claimed that while the then TD government gave bonus in addition to MSP to farmers, farmers are not even getting the MSP under the current YSRC dispensation, because of which they are coming on to roads for registering their protests.
The TD chief feared that if the limit on holding stocks of food grains is not reduced, it will lead to black-marketing in future and only benefit middlemen. He demanded that Rythu Bazaars be modernised and new agriculture policies formulated that are beneficial to both farmers and consumers.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh has accused YSR Congress government of turning a blind eye to sufferings of farmers who have suffered severe losses due to heavy rains, floods and cyclone. Taking up a whirlwind visit of Ponnur, Bapatla and Chilakaluripeta segments in Guntur district, where crops had been damaged, he protested that the government has not yet paid any compensation to affected farmers.
Speaking at Ponnur, the party general secretary accused Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of not visiting farmers when they are in distress. He maintained that when TD tried to raise farmers' woes in the assembly and council, ruling YSR Congress members prevented his party legislators from doing so. He accused the YSRC regime of not giving input subsidy despite the unprecedented losses suffered by farmers.