Minister challenges TDP for open debate on farmer welfare

Hyderabad, Apr 12 (UNI)Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy today challenged the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to come for an open debate on the farmers' welfare measures taken up by it during its nine-year rule and those taken up by the Congress government during its 20-month tenure.

Talking to newsmen here, he said the gross negligence of the farm sector by the TDP was responsible for the continuing suicides of farmers in the state. Stating that while farmers suicides increased during 1986-87 he said the TDP government had even stopped payment of ex-gratia after two years.

The Minister advised the opposition to be in its limits if it wanted to survive in politics for a while. He said it was not proper on the part of the TDP to belittle the programmes being taken up by the present Congress government for the welfare of the farmers simply because it wanted to oppose every thing the ruling party was doing.

Mr Reddy said the TDP leaders had once declared that agriculture was of no consequence and even commented that farmers were committing suicides due to mental illness. Asserting that the Congress government was for the farmers, he said due to the efforts of the state government, even the Centre had come forward to help the bereaved families of farmers who had committed suicides.

The Minister said it was wrong on the part of the TDP leaders to say that the government was trying to announce a package of relief for the farmers in view of the ensuing Panchayat elections.

He said that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had made a statement in the Parliament on the package long back and reminded the TDP leaders that their own members were also present when the statement was made.

Stating that elections were part of the democratic system, the Minister said that for Congress, elections were not everything.

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