KURNOOL: YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy alleged on Tuesday that the main agenda of the Chandrababu Naidu Government was to grab the land of poor farmers.
Addressing a public meeting at Gajulapalli in Mahanandi mandal of Kurnool district as part of Rythu Bharosa Yatra, he asserted that his father and former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had distributed 38 lakh acres of land among 23 lakh poor persons and Dalits, but the Naidu Government was forcibly taking them away.
He reiterated that over 40 farmers committed suicide owing to mounting debts, crop loss, and loss of their lands, but the government gave ex gratia to the next of kin of only four farmers.
Recalling the welfare measures implemented under his fathre’s tenure, he said 48 lakh houses were constructed for the poor then. But Mr. Naidu failed to build a single house in the last two and half years, he said. Lamenting the plight of farmers in Rayalaseema, he asked why the government was not releasing water for irrigation though all the projects had adequate water levels.
He inspected the chilli and turmeric crops at Srinagaram in Mahanandi mandal and interacted with farmers, who cited lack of remunerative price for their produce.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said the prices of chilli and turmeric were falling, driving the farmers to suicide.
Referring to the farmers dumping onion and tomatoes on the road, he flayed the government for not taking up market intervention to provide succour to the distressed farmers.
The opposition leader visited the Mahanandi temple and offered prayers to the deities of Sri Mahanandeeswara Swamy and Sri Kameswari Devi.
