YSRC leaders corner Andhra Pradesh govt over delay in payment to farmers

Jaganmohan Reddy alleged that the TDP government miserably failed in releasing input subsidy to farmers.

YSR congress president Jaganmohan Reddy (File | PTI)

VIJAYAWADA: Heated arguments took place between treasury benches and the opposition YSRC over farmer suicides and input subsidy.

During the Question Hour on payment of input subsidy, the YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy alleged that the TDP government miserably failed in releasing input subsidy to farmers. He charged that the government had yet to pay an amount of Rs 8,000 crore since it came to power in 2014
 

While the agriculture minister said that out of the total Rs 3,635.49 crore since 2014, the government had released Rs 1,546.62 crore so far and maintained that the remaining amount will also be released soon, the YSRC leaders cornered the government over delaying the payment intended to provide immediate relief to the distressed families.
 

The Leader of Opposition alleged that the government despite taking share from the Centre for payment of input subsidy to farmers for 2013-14 has not made any payment to farmers.
 

YSR issue raked up

When the Government Chief Whip Kaluva Srinivasulu recalled that former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress government too had not paid Rs 57 crore pending input subsidy to farmers of Anantapur district, Jagan faulted the treasury benches over digging the past. “You (TDP) have promised to pay input subsidy to farmers for 2013-14 after coming to power and now went back from the same,” Jagan said and staged a walkout from the House along with his members.
 

On farmers’ suicides, the YSRC expressed dissatisfaction over the government mentioning that most of the farmers are taking the extreme step due to family problems and illness.
 

When the Agriculture Minister said that the number of farmers’ suicides in the state stood at 516 in 2015, where 216 (41.8 per cent) of them due to reasons like family welfare and illness, the YSRC leaders said that the government instead of initiating pro-farmer activities to stop them from ending lives, trying to attribute the deaths to the farmers problems.