Farmers pour out their woes to Central team

Anantapur: A 4-member committee of Central Agriculture Commission interacted with farmers and people's representatives and members of political parties at the local ZP conference hall here on Friday on the drought conditions in the district.
Information minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy, YRCP MLA Visveshwar Reddy, ZP chairman Chaman and other officials participated in the meet.
Several farmers lodged their protest saying that the reports of the earlier Agriculture Commission were dumped in the dust bin and no action was initiated on the reports by the Central government. They demanded to know the fate of the present commission reports and the outcome of the members’ exercise.
The farmers observed that the district is geographically the largest one in the State with 27 lakh acres. The actual extent cultivated presently is 22 lakh acres out of which groundnut is cultivated in 18 lakh acres. Farmers explained the poor market conditions, poor flow of bank loans and investments and on the precarious conditions relating to erratic drinking water supply in villages in the summer.
Several family members of the deceased farmers who committed suicide demonstrated before the commission complaining that the government failed to pay compensation to the family members of the deceased. They demanded disbursal of Rs 5 lakhs compensation immediately by the commission.
After patiently listening to the woes of the farmers, the commission chairman Radha Krishna assured the farmers of definitely drawing the attention of the Central government regarding their problems.
Members of the political parties particularly the YSRCP MLA Visveshwar Reddy submitted a memorandum to the commission chairman on the woes of the district farmers particularly the groundnut farmers.