Andhra: Sharmila demands TDP-led coalition to raise farmers’ voice in Parliament

Amaravati, July 20 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y. S. Sharmila on Monday demanded that the partners in the ruling coalition in the state raise the voice of farmers in Parliament.

In an open letter to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, she said the MPs of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should highlight in Parliament the problems faced by farmers in the state.

She said the MPs must confront the Central government on issues faced by aqua, tobacco, mango, tomato, onion and other farmers. If necessary, they should stage a walkout and exert pressure for farmers’ welfare.

Sharmila warned that if the government fails to respond immediately, the Congress Party will intensify the statewide agitation along with the farmers.

The APCC chief stated she was writing the letter in extreme anguish after directly witnessing the plight of the state’s farmers. Referring to the saying that a kingdom where farmers cry does not prosper, she said farmers in Andhra Pradesh are shedding tears. The system that once provided a helping hand to the farming community has vanished under coalition rule, she added.

She claimed that from tomato to mango farmers, and from tobacco to aqua farmers, the entire farming community in Andhra Pradesh is in deep crisis. There are no guaranteed prices and exploitation is rampant across the state, she said.

Sharmila alleged that both the Central and state governments have let down the farmers. She stated that it was a disgrace that when debt-ridden farmers were dying by suicide, MPs from the state were busy pleasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She demanded that the problems faced by 30 lakh aqua farmers in the state should be discussed in Parliament. The Congress leader also demanded that the Centre bear the additional burden of Rs 30,000 per tonne resulting from the increase in shrimp feed prices. She sought a Rs 100 crore corpus fund for aqua farmers.

Sharmila said the ruling coalition should put pressure on the Centre to ensure that the United States reduces the 30 per cent tariff on aqua products to zero.

The APCC chief also demanded a thorough debate on the problems of tobacco farmers in Parliament. She said the problems faced by tobacco farmers should be resolved permanently.

She demanded that the Centre procure 230 million kilograms of tobacco held by farmers.

--IANS

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