Khammam, Nov.22 (NSS): Siddipet MLA Harish Rao has said the situation of farmers had become insurmountable after the Congress government came to power in the State and added that the bonus for paddy had become bogus. He criticized that the support price was not being paid to the farmers and added that the Cotton farmers were suffering due to the State government’s laxity.
He, along with former ministers Puvvada Ajay, Gangula Kamalakar and the BRS party MP Vadiraju Ravichandra visited the Khammam cotton market. He spoke to the farmers and enquired about their problems. The farmers complained that the cotton prices were being reduced in the market and they were being purchased at lesser price.
Later, speaking to media persons, Harish Rao alleged that the Congress government had drowned the farmers. He criticized that the promises made in the Warangal Farmers’ Declaration were not being implemented in the State. He said a bonus of Rs 500 should be given to cotton, but it was the Congress government that had made the bonus a bogus one. There is also no situation to get the minimum support price,” he said.
“As a result, the farmer is incurring a loss of Rs 1,500 per quintal of cotton. Why is it difficult for the government to help the farmers of cotton? Farmers have not been helped, agricultural labourers are also not helped,” he said while claiming that the Cotton farmers are committing suicide. He alleged that the CCI was not buying the cotton crop from farmers and added that it was buying it from middlemen. He said the cotton farmers in the State were not getting the support price. “In 2021, we bought cotton for Rs 11,000 per quintal. When KCR was the CM, he never bought cotton for less than Rs 7,000 per quintal. He said the cotton price had come down due to the exploitation by the middlemen. He demanded a support price of Rs 7,520 per quintal of cotton.
He said the support price had not been paid in Khammam market so far. “Though there are three ministers in the district, cotton is not being purchased at the support price,” he alleged. They were criticized for being too busy for dominance and ignoring the farmers by Rao. “Farmers are facing a lot of difficulties under the Congress rule. The Congress has done nothing but to embarrass the Opposition and hatch conspiracies. So far, there has been no complete crop loan waiver,” he said. He also said more than half of the grains had fallen to the middlemen and alleged that the government had also cheated the chilli farmers. He criticised the Chief Minister for not reviewing the purchase of the cotton crop so far.
