VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that YSRC government is committed for the welfare of farmers and is determined to make AP zero-farmer suicide State in the country, Minister for Agriculture Kurasala Kannababu held the “fault policies and neglect” of previous TDP government responsible for the death of 1,029 farmers and farmhands in 2019. Speaking to the media on Thursday, he said the State government has stepped in to compensate the families of those 1,029 farmers, who committed suicide in 2019 (as per NCRB report).
He slammed the TDP for holding the YSRC responsible for the farmer suicides in 2019 forgetting the fact that for the first six months, it was in power. “Instead of expressing grief, they appear to be happy to use the issue to criticise the government. The fact remains that since our government was formed, every effort is being made to make farming profitable and safe. Our efforts saw that farmers’ suicides, as determined by the three member committee, is only 33 so far in 2020,” he said.
It is YSRC government that compensated the families of those farmers who committed suicide during the TDP rule, he added. The minister said the Chief Minister is committed to the welfare of farmers and brought many welfare schemes like Rythu Bharosa, free electricity, giving minimum support price and many more. According to him, `10,200 crore has been credited to the accounts of 40.45 lakh farmers.
Bumper yield expected
Previous year, there was a bumper yield and food grain production touched 182 lakh metric tonnes. Kurasala Kannababu said with timely and surplus rainfall in the current crop season, they expect a good yield this year also.