Cherlopalli: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGS) scheme is not limited to just wage-based labour, but includes a variety of programmes that farmers must utilise effectively, said Raptadu MLA Paritala Sunitha.

The MLA inaugurated a fruit plantation programme under MGNREGS at Cherlopalli village of Ramagiri mandal. As part of the initiative, 280 fruit saplings were planted on a 4-acre farm belonging to a farmer named Koduru Rakesh. The event witnessed active participation from officials and local TDP leaders.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Sunitha stated that the MGNREGS is a boon for farmers. She criticised the previous government for allegedly discriminating in the allocation of scheme benefits based on political affiliations, questioning whether beneficiaries belonged to TDP or YSRCP.

In contrast, she asserted that the current government was delivering schemes to farmers without any political bias.

She informed that fruit plantation activities have been approved across 900 acres in Ramagiri, Chennekothapalli and Kanaganapalli mandals, and over 850 acres in Anantapur Rural, Atmakur, and Raptadu mandals. The government is covering the full cost, including transportation, at Rs64 per sapling.

Currently, the government is supplying mango and guava saplings. However, Sunitha encouraged farmers to invest in and plant other valuable fruit-bearing trees if they prefer. She advised them to care for the plants as if they were their own children, emphasising that these trees would support them in the future.

She urged all farmers to take full advantage of every component under the MGNREGS and use it for long-term agricultural benefit.