Nellore: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Nadendla Manohar has asserted that the coliation government is working for the welfare of farmers as it made all agriculture needs available to the farming community irrespective of political parties.

As part of his tour, the Civil Supplies Minister along with Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy and Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy has inaugurated Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) building godowns constructed at a cost of Rs 20.5 lakh and Paddy Purchasing Center (PPS) at Sangam mandal on Saturday.

Speaking the occassion, Minister Manohar stated that thought the government is facing serious financial crisis, it was committed to fulfill all the assurances given to farmers during 2024 electioneering. He said that in the current Kharif season the government has purchased 33 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from 5,87,000 farmers by paying Rs 7,480 crore within 24 hours.

The Minister criticised that instead of thinking farmer’s welfare, the previous YSRCP government had looted Rs 32 crore from the farmers through various scams in Nellore district. He further alleged that the previous government failed to pay Rs 1,674 crore to farmers related to paddy purchasing. The TDP-led coalition government has cleared the outstandings to the farmers after emerging to power in 2024 elections, he claimed.

On this occassion, Minister Manohar has assured the farmers that the government will pay Rs 1.4 crore outstandings related to transport and Hamali charges in Nellore district within 48 hours.

He disclosed that it was decided to provide quality rice called ‘Sanna Biyyam’ to mid-day meals scheme to the entire State from the next financial year. He informed it was proposed to utilise 25 lakh metric tonnes of paddy for Public Distribution System (PDS) against the total procurement of 32 lakh metric tonnes in the current Kharif season.

The Minister has recalled that as many as 3,000 farmers committed suicide during the five-year tenure of YSRCP regime and Deputy Prime Minister Pawan Kalyan has extended financial support to the bereaved families. He said it was proposed to procure 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy from farmers through 300 PPS while supplying 30 lakh gunny bags at free of cost. TIDCO Chairman Vemulapati Ajay, State Waqf Board Chairman Sheik Abdul Aziz, State Civil Supplies Department Director Vemireddy Pattabhiramireddy, District Agriculture Officer P Satya Vani and others were present.