Stating that in the 100 days of Congress rule, 180 farmers had died by suicide, former Minister T Harish Rao demanded the Congress government to pay Rs.25,000 compensation per acre to the farmers. Ever since the Congress came to power, farmers were facing power and water supply issues.
This apart, transformers were getting burnt up and motors were exploding. Even as farmers were dying by suicide, the Congress Ministers did not pacify the bereaved families, he charged.
“Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is keen on opening gates for leaders to join the Congress but is not opening gates for farmers to provide water,” Harish Rao said after interacting with farmers in Palakurthy constituency on Sunday.
The sad part was despite River Godavari water being available, the Congress government was not supplying water to farming
community.
As a result, nearly 20 lakh acres agricultural lands dried up and due to unseasonal rains, many more standing crops got damaged, he said. The former Minister was critical of the Congress, especially in fulfilling assurances made to the farmers. Before the Assembly elections, the Congress had promised the moon to the farmers.
A Rs.2 lakh farm loan waiver was to be implemented on December 9 and it has been 100 days, yet loans were not waived.
Similarly, Rs.15,000 was assured under Rythu Bharosa but even the Rs.10,000 offered by BRS government was not being extended to farmers, he said. Congress had betrayed farmers, tenant farmers and farm workers as well.
At least now, the Ministers should stop focusing on politics in Hyderabad and inspect the damaged fields and support the farmers, he added.