Anantapur: YSRCP district president and former MLA Ananta Venkatarami Reddy alleged that farmers in the State are facing severe hardships due to the government’s failure to address agrarian issues.

Speaking to the media here on Saturday, he claimed that groundwater levels across the State have declined significantly, resulting in widespread damage to horticulture crops. He alleged that despite crops drying up in several areas, the TDP-led coalition government has not taken adequate steps to support farmers.

He further accused the government of failing to ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce. He said middlemen were exploiting farmers while consumers were being forced to purchase fruits and vegetables at excessively high prices.

The YSRCP leader also alleged that farmers had not received crop insurance benefits or input subsidies. Criticising Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Venkatarami Reddy asked why farmers’ problems were not discussed during the recent Collectors’ meetings. He alleged that nearly 70 farmers across the district had died by suicide since the TDP coalition government assumed office.

He further demanded that the Chief Minister clarify why the government had not fulfilled its promise of providing compensation of Rs 7 lakh to each affected farmer’s family. Also, agencies had expressed inability to supply groundnut seeds to farmers, he stated and also accused certain leaders of the ruling party of diverting urea stocks, claiming that the fertiliser supply had been mismanaged under the direction of TDP leaders.