Former Minister and YSR Congress leader, Karumuri Nageshwara Rao said the coalition government is neglecting the farmers, who are in despair as there is no paddy procurement and heavy rains have badly affected their yield.
Speaking to media, Nageswara Rao said, the paddy procurement system has collapsed and the middlemen syndicate has taken over exploiting the farmers to the hilt while the ruling coalition is resorting to diversion politics to cover up the mess they have made by not taking proper steps ahead of the cyclone and heavy rains.
The attention is diverted towards Kakinada port, while the farmers have been in dire straits as the paddy has been damaged and getting MSP remains a mirage. Had the crop insurance policy be in place, an amount of Rs 1,350 crore would have been disbursed towards compensation.
During YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government, RBKs played a pivotal role in checking the quality of rice and ensuring payment to farmers. There were numerous review meetings for paddy procurement, e-cropping and during such calamities the present government has left farmers in the lurch, he said adding that the middlemen were completely removed but now they have come back.
With the crop damaged due to heavy rains, farmers are forced to sell their produce for a loss of Rs 400 per bag and middlemen are buying at cheap prices and minting money.
During 2014-19 term of Chandrababu Naidu, 2.65 crore MT of paddy was procured from 17.94 lakh farmers paying an amount of Rs 40,236 crores while during Jagan Mohan Reddy government, 3.40 crore MT paddy was procured from 37.70 lakh farmers Rs 65, 225 crore was disbursed which marks a two fold increase.
Now, the coalition government is unable to pay even Rs 1,720 per bag to the farmers which shows the neglect of farmers, he said.
