TDP failed to mitigate farmers’ woes in State, says Sharmila

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y.S. Sharmila on Thursday said that the TDP-led coalition government in the State had failed to reverse the mounting woes of farmers.

Speaking to the media after attending the Andhra Pradesh Kisan Congress executive committee meeting at Andhra Ratna Bhavan, Ms. Sharmila said that every farmer in the State had an average debt of ₹2 lakh per acre. “Andhra Pradesh ranks number one in farmers’ suicides, with over 1,000 cases registered every year and yet the government has offered no concrete solutions,” she said.

Raising concern over the intensity of the problem, she said that the financial aid of ₹20,000 given to farmers under ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme was too little. Stating that farmers were denied minimum support prices for chilli, tobacco, jowar, cotton and banana, she said the TDP government still chose to support the BJP government at the Centre.

She said the Congress party was strongly opposed to privatisation of medical colleges in the State. In addition to the existing 2,600 medical seats, the new colleges would add another 2,500 seats, she said, adding that privatisation of the new colleges would deprive poor students of medical education.

In response to a query on her son’s possible entry into politics, she said “my son has not yet entered politics, but the YSRCP is already reacting in an unbecoming way. “It is probably because of their fear or they see him as a threat,” she said.