Vijayawada, Jan 12 (UNI) Telugu Desam Party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asked his party cadres to burn 'anti-farmer' Government Orders of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy-headed government.

Addressing a video conference with party coordinator and in-charges for the parliamentary and assembly segments, the former Chief Minister asked the TDP cadres to burn the 'anti-farmer' GOs of Jagan Reddy led regime in the Bhogi bonfires that would be organised as part of the Sankranti festival celebrations on Wednesday.

The farmers should burn all the GOs relating to the fixing of motors on farm pumpsets, Sunna Vaddi scheme, caste-based division of cultivators and diversion of zero budget natural farming funds. This Sankranti should bid goodbye to all the problems of the farmers.

The former Chief Minister alleged that the 'anti-farmer' policies of Jagan Mohan Reddy headed government led to suicides of 1,779 farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The farmers could not get either crop insurance or input subsidy and over Rs 2,700 crore dues towards food grain purchased by the Government were kept pending.

The discoloured paddy in the heavy rains was not purchased at the Government centres. The middlemen were walking away with all the benefits. The farmers were badly exploited.

Mr Naidu lamented that the tomato produce was being thrown on the roads in Kurnool district by farmers due to lack of remunerative price. There was nobody to buy a KG tomato at 30 paise. Banana rate has fallen from Rs 8,000 per tonne to Rs 2,000. On the one hand, there was no support price for the harvest. On the other hand, there was not even compensation for the damage crops.

The ruling party was cheating the farmers to the tune of Rs 21,000 crore in five years. Over Rs 8,000 crore under 4th and 5th loan waiver schemes was not being paid.

UNI DP SV 1810