VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that the government has rolled out a green carpet to agriculture sector by bringing revolutionary changes, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said the change is visible through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) right from supply of quality seeds to sale of produce, besides providing insurance cover and nine-hour free power.
Concluding the short discussion on agriculture and allied sectors in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the last day of the session, the Chief Minister said, RBKs have been the most tangible units at village level which are offering numerous services to farmers and assured that the State has not and will not collect any extra amount on meters fixed to agriculture motors.
Drawing attention of the people to the fact that in the last 40 months of YSRC rule, not a single mandal has been declared drought hit, Jagan said in contrast, every year of the five-year rule of his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu was drought hit. “As many as 238 mandals were declared drought hit in 2014 Kharif, 359 in 2015, 301 in 2016, 121 in 2017 and 347 in 2018 and 257 in 2019 Rabi. There is a saying that drought and Chandrababu Naidu are twins,” he ridiculed.
The Chief Minister said since the YSRC formed the government, all the reservoirs are brimming with water and ground water is recharged. The State has been witnessing bountiful of rains and the government has succeeded in providing water to Rayalaseema through irrigation canals. “In the last three years, there has been a record production of foodgrains. We have spent Rs 1,28,634 crore on agriculture sector in the last three years,” he explained.
Asserting that all the promises made in the YSRC manifesto to farmers have been fulfilled, the Chief Minister said nano technology will be implemented soon and about 2,000 drones will be pressed into service for spraying pesticides on crops.
All the welfare schemes are aimed to benefit farmers with a landholding of less than three acres, who form 87% of the total and many of them are also beneficiaries of other schemes under Navaratnalu, the Chief Minister elaborated.
In 10,778 RBKs, qualified people are working to guide farmers and people from NITI Aayog, World Bank and FAO also have visited the Kendras to study their functioning. Lab to land, YSR Yantra, Calamity and Price Stabilisation Funds have played their role in the time of crisis, he averred.
Taking a dig at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, he pointed out that unlike Naidu, who went back on his promise of unconditional waiver of crop loans, the YSRC government has never gone back on its promises. “Naidu promised waiver of Rs 87,612 crore, but implemented only Rs 15,000 crore in five years. Showing videos of Naidu’s speeches on loan waiver, Jagan said even chameleon has to be ashamed seeing Naidu for the speed at which he changes colours. He asserted that the YSRC government is committed to the welfare of farmers and will continue its proactive role in promoting agriculture and allied sectors.