TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh terms Rythu Bharosa Kendras bogus

VIJAYAWADA: Terming Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) bogus, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said not even a single farmer in the State had received any kind of benefit from them.

Interacting with farmers at Machapuram in Yemmiganur Assembly segment on Friday as part of his Yuva Galam Padayatra, Lokesh said the farming community was the worst hit during the YSRC government. Describing Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as a holiday CM as he declared crop holiday, power holiday and aqua holiday, he alleged that the State Cabinet never discussed farmers’ issues.

Asking why Jagan’s photo was printed on the cover of passbooks issued to farmers, Lokesh said Jagan completely ignored drip irrigation, which is a boon to farmers of Rayalaseema. Recalling that the TDP government had waived Rs 50,000 loan of every farmer and supplied seeds, fertilisers and pesticides at subsidy, Lokesh said not only the prices of farm inputs increased steeply but also spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides flooded the market in the YSRC government.

Observing that cotton farmers were suffering heavily due to the negligence of the YSRC government, Lokesh asked as to why the government failed to curb the inflow of spurious farm inputs into the market.