AP Purchases 17.47 Lakh Metric Tonnes of Paddy

KAKINADA: The state government has purchased 17.47 metric tonnes of paddy from 1679 paddy purchasing centres in the present Rabi Season, and credited `3870 crore directly to the accounts of 1.67 lakhs farmers within 24 hours.

This was stated on Sunday by water resources minister Nimmala Rama Naidu. He laid stones for construction of several development works at a cost of `5.61 crores in Palakollu constituency on Sunday.

The minister said the alliance government accorded top priority to agriculture and farmers ‘welfare. Some `8,965 crore has been credited to 56 lakh farmers under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme. About `397 crore has been sanctioned for removing weed and water hyacinths from canals, as well as for desilting and excavation operations the coming season.

“The people are now witnessing development. The YSRC government adopted demolition, destruction and ruthless elimination apart from other toxic cultures. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as chief minister failed in fulfilling his promises during the YSRC term, while the alliance government is fulfilling its Super Six promises,” he claimed.

Rama Naidu said the farmers were subjected to severe hardships and harassment in every possible way. “If the farmers wanted to sell their paddy, they were forced to wait day and night for an entire week outside rice mills during the YSRC period. They did not even have the freedom to sell their paddy to a mill of their own choice.

The alliance government, he said, has paid `1640 crore of arrears left behind by the YSRC government to the farmers.