The Andhra Pradesh Tenant farmers’ Association has urged the State government to come to the rescue of the tenant farmers without any delay and implement the recommendations of the Sri Radhakrishnan Commission.
Addressing a meeting organised by the association here on Thursday, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) national secretary Vijoo Krishnan said the condition of farmers in Andhra Pradesh was distressing.
“It is pertinent to mention that Andhra Pradesh, which has the highest number of tenant farmers, is witnessing increasing rate of suicides,” he observed.
The State government failed to ensure MSP and provide subsidies and schemes to the farmers, he alleged.
In comparison, the Government of Kerala was paying ₹1,000 per quintal more than the MSP while procuring the farmers’ produce, he said. The panchayats would identify the tenant farmers and extend all benefits to them on a par with the land owners, he added.
MLC K/ Lakshman Rao, TDP MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu, Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Pothina Mahesh, and association secretary M. Hari Babu spoke.
They said the farmers should get a fair price for the produce. The MSP announced for various crops was lower than the actual cost of production, they added.
The government should ensure that tenant farmers had access to zero percent interest crop loans from banks, crop insurance, and other agricultural subsidies, they added. The tenant farmers should have be given the Crop Cultivator Rights Card (CCRC).
The government was fixing meters to agricultural pump sets, which would be a big burden on the farmers, they said.
Mr. Lakshman Rao said there were 24.5 lakh tenant farmers as per the Radhakrishnan Commission. All of them should get access to institutional credit, he said.
