Former Minister and YSRCP leader Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has criticised the coalition government for its “utter neglect” of agriculture and failure to ensure timely supply of urea and other farm inputs, alleging that the crisis is being used to benefit private traders at the cost of farmers.Addressing the media on Friday, former Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy said that the NDA government had dismantled the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), which once served as one-stop centres providing seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and marketing support to farmers. He accused the government of routing supplies through private players who were selling inputs at inflated prices.“While the ongoing kharif season requires 16.78 lakh tonnes of urea, the government has supplied only 65,000 tonnes, forcing farmers to leave their fields and wait in queues. They are compelled to buy from private dealers at ₹450 per bag, instead of the official price of ₹266.50,” Kakani claimed. Nearly 250 farmers committed suicide due to mounting distress, but the government remained indifferent, he alleged.He demanded the dismissal of the Agriculture Minister, citing an official’s letter that allegedly exposed corruption in the farm mechanisation scheme, and called for an inquiry.He claimed that during the previous YSRCP government, former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had ensured buffer stocks through RBKs, and even offered subsidies when the Centre’s urea allocation fell short. “During Mr. Jagan’s tenure, 12.70 lakh metric tonnes of urea had been supplied through RBKs, saving farmers about ₹50 per bag in transport costs,” he said.He accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of failing to keep the promise of additional Rythu Bharosa support, and reducing beneficiaries by seven lakh.Mr. Kakani demanded immediate steps to compensate farmers for flood damage, ensure supply of inputs, and restore confidence among the agricultural community. Published - August 22, 2025 07:24 pm IST
