The Hindu Business Line : Farmers' federation sets agenda for political parties

At a meeting convened by it here on Thursday, the federation has clearly let the political parties know what they expect from them - more allocations in the budget for rural development, quality power, the right to sell their produce anywhere, preparation of a national water policy, more subsidies and credit at lower interest rates.

Mr Akkineni Bhavani Prasad, a federation leader, said while the industry, business community and employees were organised, the farming community was not united. "As a result, industry associations like Confederation of Indian Industry and Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry are able to have Prime Minister and Finance Minister at their annual meetings to listen to their problems. The farmers, who are not united, are left unheard," he said.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), represented by its Vice-President Mr Satyanarayana Reddy, demanded that droughts should be considered as natural calamities. "The areas hit by drought should be given top priority for allocating financial resources to fund water projects," he said.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), which was represented by Mr Kolli Nageswara Rao, the President of Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham, alleged that the ruling Telugu Desam Party was trying to create differences between the people of Andhra and Telangana in issues related to water. "They are trying to putting one against another," he said.

Prof Prasada Rao of Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that the agriculture sector was in a serious crisis. "The globalisation and liberalisation policies being taken up by the Union and State Governments are responsible for the situation," he said.

Coming down heavily on new trends like contract farming corporatisation of agriculture, he said the system made the owners of land holdings "servants to the new capital." He warned that the system would lead to genocide considering the fact 70 per cent of Indians depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

Mr Koteswara Rao, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, called for revival of cooperative sector.

All the parties, barring BJP, supported the demand for free power to the farm sector with minor variations in their opinions. While TRS called for blanket free power, the two Left parties called for free power to small and medium farmers and power on slab rates for other farmers.

The BJP, however, felt that the sector should be given 9-12 hours of uninterrupted and quality power.

Interestingly, Telugu Desam and Congress (I), the two main political parties in the State, did not send their representatives to the meeting.

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Farmers' federation sets agenda for political parties