The YSR Congress party has warned the State Government of serious consequences if it goes ahead with the proposal to do away with the subsidy on free power to farmers as it was one of the poll promises of YSR in 2004 and in 2009.
“The State is contemplating to give free power only to farmers who use up to 3 HP. This move is only to black out the free power scheme promised by YSR in the elections,” the party MLA Srikanth Reddy told reporters here on Wednesday. The proposal to restrict free power only to farmers using 3 HP and below will hit the farmers hard as they are forced to use more power with the water table depleting. Nearly 80 per cent of the farmers are using more than 3 HP to draw water and the surcharge on extra consumption will burden them severely, he said.
YSR-led Congress went to 2009 poll with the twin promises of 9-hour free power to farmers and 30 kg rice. The State has been diluting both the promises and the latest move will shatter the rural economy as it will affect the already burdened farmers, he said adding that YSRCP will take up agitation if the proposal to revise the free power scheme is implemented.
Kiran Kumar Reddy government has been peeling away YSR welfare schemes one after the other and has been taxing the people heavily through cut in subsidies, hike in bus charges and power charges. No section of the society is happy with the present government, which is boasting of best governance, he said.
YSR has brought the smile back in the farming community after it went through a nine-year ordeal in TDP government which has demoralised farmers and dubbed agriculture as waste. YSR with the waiver of loans to a tune of Rs 13,000 crores benefitting over one crore farmers had given a new lease of life to farming and the free power has helped in increase of production.
This government has been reverting to the TDP scheme of things and has been very harsh on farmers with cut in subsidies and going back on the free power supply, he said.
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has taken up the cause of farmers, weavers and other sections of society with dharnas at Guntur, Armoor and Vijayawada and YSRCP will carry forward his fight if the State Government dares to dilute the free power scheme, he said.