Jagan Mohan Reddy demands Andhra govt to offer compensation to rain-affected farmers

“The coalition government has no concern for farmers who lost their standing crops due to gale and unseasonal rains”: Reddy

Pulivendula: Former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday criticised the NDA coalition government in Andhra Pradesh for allegedly neglecting farmers and demanded immediate compensation for losses they suffered due to unseasonal rains.

After inspecting damaged banana crops at Thatireddypalli village in Kadapa district, Reddy highlighted that farmers were in distress. “The coalition government has no concern for farmers who lost their standing crops due to gale and unseasonal rains,” Reddy said.

The opposition leader demanded immediate compensation and relief, observing that the erstwhile YSCRP regime had set up integrated cold storage worth Rs 25 crore but the current government failed to operationalise it.

This facility with a storage capacity of 500 tons is meant to procure farmers’ produce, he said, noting that free crop insurance was the right of farmers during their term and accused the TDP-led NDA alliance government of abolishing it.

According to the YSRCP supremo, the State government failed to procure paddy, chilli and other millet crops, exhibiting an ‘anti-farmer stance’. He insisted that input subsidies and insurance must be provided for the 4,000 acres of damaged crops and assured farmers that his party would pressure the government for compensation. Reddy also promised that once YSCRP returns to power, pending amounts would be credited to farmers’ accounts.