Jagan assured support to tobacco farmers affected by heavy central taxes.

VIJAYAWADA: Former Chief Minister and YSRC President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy met with tobacco farmers from Jangareddygudem mandal of Chintalapudi assembly constituency in Eluru district at the YSRC Central Office.

The farmers stated that the significant increase in excise duty and GST on tobacco and cigarettes by the central government has led to a sharp decline in demand, a fall in prices, reduced procurement, and has severely impacted their livelihoods.

They mentioned that farmers in several districts are already protesting and appealing to the central government to withdraw the taxes. They submitted a memorandum to the YSRC president outlining their problems. Jagan Mohan Reddy assured them that the YSRC would take up the issue with the central government and that the party’s MPs would raise it in the ongoing budget session of Parliament, and pledged his full support to the tobacco farmers facing economic hardship.