The Hindu : National : Jagan seeks better deal for A.P. ryots

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Jagan seeks better deal for A.P. ryots

BATTING FOR FARMERS:Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, along with a delegation of MPs and MLAs, meeting Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI: Claiming that the relief announced by the Centre for calamity-hit farmers in Andhra Pradesh is not enough, the former Congress MP, Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, on Thursday demanded a “better package” for those whose crops have been damaged in recent floods.

Mr. Reddy, who quit the Congress as well as the Lok Sabha on November 29, met Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar here and demanded that the government announce an immediate relief of Rs. 5,000 to each farmer in the State.

Mr. Reddy also claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not respond to the farmers' letter seeking an appointment with him to explain their plight.

“We explained to Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar about the situation in the State. He gave us a patient hearing. He also promised us that the Centre will come out with a package for the ryots by tomorrow [Friday],” he said after the meeting.

He also told Mr. Pawar that the Centre should increase the outlay for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme to provide assistance for agriculture labourers through the farmers during the season while continuing the assistance to the “downtrodden” labour.

He avoided questions on the separate Telangana issue, saying “let me not dilute the topic of farmers now.” — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail