Urges CM to ensure payment of Rs. 17 Cr
Withdraw cases and notices served on farmers
AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Monday urged Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to ensure immediate payment of Rs. 17 Cr of pending bills to the sugarcane farmers of Vizianagaram district and also to withdraw the false cases filed against them by the police.
Nara Lokesh wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, saying that the serving of notices to the farmers amounted to the arrogance and vindictiveness of the Government. They were just holding their prolonged protests for the payment of their long pending bills. Already, the YCP regime’s overall failures had pushed the agriculture sector into a deep crisis.
Lokesh said that there was nobody to rescue the farmers in times of natural calamities. Lack of crop compensation and the useless Rythu Bharosa Kendras have only caused greater distress to the farmers. Like never before, there was total negligence towards agriculture.
Nara Lokesh deplored that the sugarcane farmers got stuck in debts following non-payment of dues. The NCS Sugar Factory management in Vizianagaram owed Rs. 17 Cr towards dues of two seasons to nearly 2,000 farmers. They were carrying out protests at the sugar factory for immediate payment. But, the inefficient and irresponsible Government was trying to suppress the farmers’ rights. The present rulers were transgressing the farmers’ right to protest.
Decrying the Government’s ‘harassment’, Lokesh said the officials caused mental agony to over 80 farmers in Bobbili and Sitanagaram mandals by sending notices to them. The YCP Government was harassing the farmers instead of taking action against the sugar factory management which was not paying the bills towards the crop produced supplied to it by the farmers for two seasons. The Chief Minister should take action against the officials who caused embarrassment and suffering to the farmers.