AMALAPURAM (EG): Leaders of various political parties have squarely blamed the government in the state and that at the Centre for the agrarian crisis that has led to declaration of crop holiday by hapless farmers of the Konaseema and other areas of the state.
Participating in a meeting on farmers' problems held at the Kapu Kalyana Mandapam here on Friday, they assured to discuss the issue during the present Parliament session.
They also assured to mount pressure on the UPA government to hold a special session of Parliament to discuss the problems of farmers.
Accusing the governments of neglecting the welfare of the farmers, they said the farmers of Konaseema were an inspiration to farmers in other parts of the country.
Rashtriya Lok Dal president Ajit Singh said governments were encouraging the industrial sector and neglecting farmers.
Declaration of crop holiday was an unfortunate development that put the governments in poor light.
The state government had not responded properly to the crisis, he remarked.
“The export and import policies of the Union government are not good and allowing accumulation of lakhs tonnes of sugar and maize in warehouses.
The farmers who are producing food grains are now in dire straits,'' Singh said.
“Farmers are justified to demand profitable price instead of minimum support price for their produce as the investment rate per acre has increased.
Implementation of the Swaminathan's Committee's recommendations is the only remedy to redress the probelms of farmers,'' Ajit Singh said and threatened to launch a nationwide agitation in association with other parties for farmers' welfare.
Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, who presided over the meeting, said chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy did not find time to visit Konaseema where farmers declared crop holiday, a first of its kind in the country.
He asked the farming community to fight with unity until the governments at the Centre and in the state conceded their demands.
Earlier, Konaseema Rythu Parirakshana Samithi president Rambala Bose and others demanded payment of profitable price to farmers for their produce, implementation of the Swamynathan Committee's recommendations and crop insurance facility to all farmers.
Those who participated in the meeting included Ramachandra (CPM), K Narayana (CPI), Saliendra Kumar (Samajwadi Party), Siddhardha Mahapatra (Biju Janata Dal), Biswas (Forward Bloc), Danif Ali( Janata Dal-Secular) and Bala Gangadhar (AIADMK).
TDP leaders Kodela Sivaprasad, Karanam Balaram, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Metla Satyanarayana, Nannapaeni Raja Kumari, Chikkala Ramachandra Rao, district president Nimmkayala Chinna Rajappa and others were present.
The national leaders, who reached Rajahmnundry by a special flight from New Delhi, visited the uncultivated fields at Pedapudi and Amjabipeta and enquired with the farmers about the reasons for declaring crop holiday.