Farmers’ plight highlighted

Srikakulam: YSRCP Rajam and Palakonda MLAs K Jogulu and V Kalavathi alleged that TDP leader K Prathibha Bharathi was conducting review meetings with the officials at her residence in Rajam town and news was reported in the media. They questioned on which capacity she was convening the meetings, they questioned?

The MLAs raised the issue at the Zilla Parishad general body meeting here on Friday. Minister for Transport and BC Welfare K Atchannaidu and Collector K Dhanunjaya Reddy, who were present at the meeting, kept mum on the issue.

The Zilla Parishad general body meeting was held under the leadership of Zilla Parishad Chairperson Chowdari Dhanalakshmi. Speaking on the occasion, Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) members Burja and others flayed the negligence of agriculture officials in preventing the sale of fake seeds during the kharif season and failure to provide pesticides to farmers on time.

The officials yet to pay input subsidy and crop insurance to the farmers for the crop loss which they incurred two years ago due to natural calamities, they pointed out. An MPTC from Sitampeta pointed out that tribal farmers in Sitampeta and other mandals are not being provided neither aid nor suggestions from the agriculture officials.

Responding to it, Minister K Atchannaidu, Government Whip Kuna Ravikumar and the Collector assured to settle crop insurance, input subsidy soon and provide quality seeds and pesticides with a prior plan from next kharif.

MLAs B Ashok, GSS Sivaji, K Venkataramana, B Ramana Murthy and MLC PVN Madhav demanded that the government put an end to illegal deputations of medical staff and doctors from Srikakulam to Visakhapatnam as services are being affected here. In turn, the Minister, the Government Whip and the Collector assured to consider the issue.