Terming the three new farm laws as anti-farmers, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Monday demanded the Centre to take them back and assured the farmers of his party's support.
He also alleged that the Telangana government has discontinued all the welfare schemes for the farmers of the state that were started by the previous governments.
"The Congress party stands alongside farmers and we demand the Central Government remove the three farm laws that are against the farmers of this nation. We also demand the State Government continue all the schemes that were introduced for the betterment of the farmers of the state," he said.
He further stated, "Farmers are mostly concerned about the three new farms laws that were passed by the Central Government. They are also worried about the Telangana government's decision of not establishing procurement centres which may lead the middlemen to loot the farmers. The farmers demand the procurement centre or the purchasing centres as that is a support system for them."
"The farmers are worried that the agricultural equipment that were provided by the previous governments on subsidy have been completely stopped by the current government. The Telangana Government has also stopped paying the rate of interests for the loans that the farmers take for their produce. Due to this, the farmers are forced to pay for the interests on their own. This government has not even waived off the loans as per their promise, which is forcing farmers into a debt trap," added the Congress leader.
Vikramarka undertook a fourteen-day Raitulatho Mukhamukhi (Direct Interaction with farmers) Yatra on the lines of Kisan Mahapanchayats being held in North India, covering vast tracts of Telangana to obtain farmers' understanding of the three new farm laws brought by the Central government.
Vikramarka met farmers at every village centre and explained to them that the farm laws are aimed at corporatising Indian farming benefitting only the rich. The leader gave a patient hearing to the farmers in distress during the Yatra.
The Congress leader said, "In the course of Yatra, we arranged a meeting with farmers from Khammam and made them explain their problems to us."
"The farmers of Telangana spoke in one voice against the farm laws making it clear that the new legislation will only make them subservient to the corporates. Farmers pointed out that even when they took their produce to the nearby procurement centre, they never received the commensurate price and what is the guarantee that they will benefit by taking it and selling it in faraway places in the country? The main worry of the farmers is the scrapping of Minimum Support Price (MSP)," Vikramarka added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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