Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham state president and CPI state secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah demanded that the state government immediately release nearly Rs 20,000 crore in pending payments allegedly owed to farmers over the past two years.
He stated that the government should clear all outstanding dues and deposit the amounts directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
During a press conference at Dasari Bhavan here on Saturday, Eswaraiah urged the government to release approximately Rs.4,000 crore in crop insurance compensation for farmers who suffered losses due to natural calamities over the last six agricultural seasons.
He also called for the continuation of the free crop insurance scheme for the upcoming kharif season. Eswaraiah alleged that delays in payments to insurance companies have resulted in the state being blacklisted by insurers.
He claimed that around Rs 1,000 crore in input subsidies remains unpaid for farmers affected by 18 natural disasters reported since the coalition government took office.
Additionally, he demanded the release of Rs.500 crore in pending interest subsidy benefits for farmers who have repaid their crop loans on time.
The farmers’ leader advocated for a waiver of agricultural loans up to Rs 2 lakh, similar to measures adopted in Telangana and Tamil Nadu. He sought the immediate release of Rs.10,716 crore under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme.
Eswaraiah also called for fair prices for tobacco and mango farmers and announced that a delegation of farmers and tenant farmers would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister’s Office on June 30 to seek resolution of their issues.
AP Koulu Rythu Sangham state general secretary P Jamalaiah claimed that nearly eight lakh tenant farmers have been denied benefits under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme for the past two years. He demanded payment of Rs. 40,000 each to eligible tenant farmers, totalling nearly Rs 3,200 crore.
Jamalaiah also requested enhanced crop loan limits, the implementation of collateral-free loans for tenant farmers, improvements to irrigation infrastructure, desilting of canals, restoration of lift irrigation schemes, and strengthening of tank bunds.
