TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has accused the Jagan Mohan Reddy government of ignoring problems and suffering of farmers due to crop losses in the floods and heavy rains in over 11 districts in the State. Lokesh said that farmers told him how only 10 to 15 percent enumeration of damaged crops was being taken up by the government. “This is highly objectionable at a time when there was heavy damage to crops in over 215 mandals while over 10,000 houses were badly hit,” the TDP leader said. Addressing a press conference in Amaravati, Nara Lokesh demanded immediate steps to ensure 100 percent enumeration of crop losses in all the affected districts and mandals. Lokesh demanded the AP Government to extend Rs. 5,000 financial assistance to each family affected by the floods and heavy rains. “While in Opposition, Jagan Reddy has made this demand and in his capacity as the CM now, he should fulfill that to save the poor people from further pain and suffering. It was unfortunate that Jagan Reddy, who promised to bring in ‘Rythu Rajyam’ (farmers rule) before the 2019 elections, was now making the lives of farmers miserable. No Minister or YCP MLA visited flood-hit areas,” he said.
Lokesh said that even in the highly publicized ‘Ruthu Bharosa’ programme, the Chief Minister has betrayed the farmers by giving meagre and far lesser financial assistance.
“It was denied to lakhs of tenant farmers and also in the name of caste and other narrow-minded pretexts. Thus, Jagan Reddy’s rule has avoided paying Rs. 25,000 crores to the farmers under the CM’s most prestigious ‘Rythu Bharosa’ itself,” the TDP leader added.