Raise key issues of Andhra in Parliament: YSRCP chief to party men

Amaravati, Nov 30 (PTI) YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday directed party MPs to raise key public issues of Andhra Pradesh in the Parliament session that begins on Monday.

He alleged that farmers in the state are in acute distress due to the devastation caused by Cyclone Montha and the collapse of Minimum Support Price (MSP) across major crops, pushing the agricultural sector into a deep crisis.

"Reddy has instructed the party’s MPs to strongly raise the most urgent public issues of Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming Parliament session. The fight in Parliament must centre on the severe distress facing farmers due to cyclone damage and the collapse of MSP across major crops," the YSRCP said in a press release.

He claimed that farmers have lost lakhs of acres of crops and are under unbearable pressure as neither the state government nor the Centre has offered compensation.

Reddy further alleged that MSP has fallen for paddy, maize, black gram, cotton, red gram, banana, chilli and mango, leaving farmers vulnerable to traders and middlemen after the NDA coalition government "abandoned procurement".

The former chief minister said that the free crop insurance provided without premium under the previous YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024 is now being denied, and that input subsidy is also not being extended.

He alleged that the stoppage of e-crop enumeration has created chaos in crop data and deprived farmers of compensation eligibility, while chilli and mango growers were "deceived on promised support." Reddy also expressed concern over the alleged mass deletion of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) job cards, claiming that nearly 19 lakh cards were removed, depriving rural families of essential livelihood support.

He accused the TDP-led NDA government of moving toward partial privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant by inviting private companies to take over select units, calling it a dangerous step that could lead to full privatisation.

Reddy said thousands who had sacrificed land and lives for the steel plant are being betrayed, and demanded scrapping of privatisation plans, allocation of iron ore mines and revival of the plant.

He further alleged that law and order has "collapsed", citing political targeting, illegal arrests and withdrawal of security for several leaders, creating fear and insecurity across the state.

The former CM also claimed that students in government hostels and welfare institutions are suffering due to a lack of proper food, drinking water and hygiene facilities.

Reddy directed YSRCP MPs to fight for pending central funds, employment generation and overall protection of Andhra Pradesh’s rights, saying that Parliament must hear the voice of the state's people. PTI MS GDK SSK