Babu attacks govt on farmers' issues

Taking part in discussions on the farmers' issues in the Assembly on Thursday, Leader of the Opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu took the state government to task for not conceding to the demands of the Opposition in the interest of the farmers.

Mr Naidu’s verbal assault on the government resulted in lot of din in the House with the Treasury benches, including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asking the former to withdraw his words.

The Assembly reverberated with protests from the ruling party Members when Mr Naidu raised the 2G spectrum scam and the alleged loot under the Jalayagnam.

The TDP chief alleged that the relief measures announced by the government for the farmers was nowhere enough to lift them from the losses due to the recent floods.

He said that the farmers were reeling under the impact of the recent floods in which they lost most of their crops and were forced to take to distress sales.

Mr Naidu’s unbridled attack on the ruling party and his comparing the farmers' issues with the 'card game' raised the hackles of the Treasury benches, prompting the Chief Minister to rise to his feet and demanding withdrawal of certain harsh words.

When Mr Naidu pointed out how the TDP team was sent back preventing them from visiting the Babli project in Maharashtra, the House witness noisy scenes. Mr Naidu said that fearing Centre's intervention, the state government colluded with Maharashtra government and prevented the TDP members from proceeding to the site of the Babli project.

Mr Naidu demanded that Rs 25,000 per hectare be given to the farmers in place of Rs 10,000 to the farmers, Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the farmers perished, loss compensation for paddy and ground nut be given to the tune of Rs 10,000, cotton, tobacco, sugarcane farmers to be given Rs 15,000, fruit gardens 12,500.

Mr Naidu said that Rs 6,000 per hectare to the farmer for different commodities was not sufficient and demanded Rs 25,000 per hectare.

Stating that the Chief Minister has not raised the inadequate godown space in his speech, Mr Naidu demanded Rs 250 as bonus to the farmers.

He also criticised the Pavala Vaddi interest scheme which did not meet the farmers' needs.

The TDP Members made light of Minister for Revenue N Raghuveera Reddy's claim that Rs 38,000 crore budget for farmers.

Taking exception to the reception given to his statement, the Minister said he was prepared to retire from politics if they could prove that the TDP regime did more farmers than the Congress government.

The Minister also said that they must to go to Naravaripalle in Chittoor district and examine how the farmers were at gains.