Manohar terms Jagan’s charges ‘deceptive claims’

 Vijayawada: Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar on Thursday accused former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of misleading farmers with what he described as ‘deceptive claims,’ and urged the public to judge the government by its performance rather than political criticism.

Speaking to reporters here , he said farmers should recognise the facts and not be swayed by what he alleged were repeated attempts by the YSRCP leader to distort the state’s relief efforts.

Manohar said the NDA coalition government had responded swiftly to farmer distress following the recent cyclone, citing the distribution of 50,000 tarpaulins free of cost, with 30 units stocked at each Rythu Bharosa Kendra.

He added that the government had deposited Rs 3,350 crore into farmers’ bank accounts within four hours of purchasing grain, contrasting this with what he claimed were delays of several months during the previous administration.

The minister alleged that the YSRCP government had left procurement arrears of Rs 1,674 crore and caused losses to farmers through irregularities involving transport, gunny bags and mill allocations. He said the new government had strengthened grain procurement operations, recording the purchase of 14 lakh metric tonnes so far in 2025–26, nine lakh tonnes more than the comparable period of the previous year.

Manohar also defended the state’s Deepam 2 scheme, stating that 2.85 crore beneficiaries received free LPG refills across three phases, backed by allocations of Rs 2,406 crore. He said attempts to question the programme’s intent or implementation were politically motivated.

Urging political leaders to act responsibly, Manohar said farmers have no caste or religion and deserved support without disruption or misinformation. He appealed to the public not to believe deceptive claims and to assess the current government’s actions based on outcomes rather than allegations.