Did Jagan Just Accuse CM Chandrababu Naidu of Betraying Andhra Farmers?

Amaravati, Sep 3 (NationPress) The President of the YSR Congress Party and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched a vehement attack against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of deceiving the farmers of Andhra Pradesh.

YS Jagan remarked that despite Chandrababu's promises of providing “a guarantee for the future,” he has failed to even secure a single bag of urea for the farmers. For the past two years, farmers have been compelled to queue for days just to obtain fertilisers, he noted in a post on X.

“The government under Chandrababu Naidu pledged a secure future for farmers, yet after two years, it has pushed the agricultural community of Andhra Pradesh into a state of despair. Farmers, who form the backbone of our state, are facing unprecedented difficulties due to severe shortages of critical fertilisers like urea and a drastic decline in crop prices. This administration’s gross mismanagement and indifference have left rural families fighting for survival, betraying those it promised to uplift,” stated the YSR Congress Party leader.

Farmers are forced to wait in line for days just to secure a bag of urea, a crisis unimaginable during our five-year rule when such shortages were nonexistent. Despite regular annual planning for crop cultivation and fertiliser distribution, the government has failed to provide sufficient supplies, he added.

The former Chief Minister pointed to ‘credible reports’ indicating that leaders from the ruling party are redirecting subsidised fertilisers, allowing private traders to sell urea at inflated prices, reaching Rs 267 per bag, with an additional Rs 200 in the black market.

“No inspections are performed, and no one faces consequences. The distribution through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) is severely lacking, in stark contrast to our administration’s record of supplying 12 lakh tonnes of fertilisers directly to farmers through RBKs and offering urea at Rs 50 below market prices via PACS. The government’s inaction is not merely negligence; it is a betrayal of every farmer waiting for their livelihood,” he said.

To exacerbate this crisis, crop prices have dropped significantly, leading farmers into financial ruin. Prices for various crops, including paddy, chillies, cotton, jowar, red gram, black gram, green gram, maize, millets, ragi, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, and tobacco, have decreased drastically. For instance, onion farmers receive a meager Rs 400-500 per quintal, while retail markets sell onions for over Rs 35 per kg. During our administration, onions fetched between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,000 per quintal, ensuring farmers earned Rs 40 to Rs 120 per kg,” stated YS Jagan.

“Sugarcane prices have plummeted to Rs 6,000-12,000 per tonne under this regime, compared to Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh per tonne during our governance. Even amidst the COVID-19 crisis, our administration procured surplus sugarcane and arranged special trains to assist farmers. Today, as farmers face despair and even suicide, the government remains indifferent. Chandrababu Naidu’s silence while farmers suffer is deafening,” he concluded.