Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham former State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao alleged on Sunday that the policies of the BJP-led Central government and the TDP-led State government have made development a ‘mirage’ for farmers and rural communities.
Addressing the third day of the 23rd State conference of the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham in Eluru, he said agriculture and farmers’ livelihoods were under serious threat due to land acquisition, absence of remunerative prices for crops, and policies favouring corporate interests. He urged the organisation to build a broader farmers’ movement from the village level and to involve youth in future struggles.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that vast tracts of farmland acquired for industries remained unused, with neither industries being established nor jobs created. He demanded that such lands be restored for agricultural cultivation if projects were not being implemented within six months. He also blamed successive governments for the decline of cooperative institutions, including sugar factories, dairies and spinning mills.
Claiming that farmers receive fewer subsidies compared to corporate companies, which are offered higher subsidies, Mr. Srinivasa Rao cited the solar power projects, where he alleged that farmers received only about ₹30,000 per acre annually while companies earned substantial profits. He accused governments of framing policies that benefit corporates and real estate interests at the cost of cultivators.
The farmer leader also criticised proposed river-linking projects, alleging they were intended to divert irrigation water for industrial use, and demanded completion of pending irrigation works. He called on the farmers to organise united struggles against anti-farmer policies and urged people to ensure that no eligible voter was excluded during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
