HYDERABAD: Highlighting the failures of leadership and governance system in the 75 years of Independence farmers from 26 states convened a meeting with Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and unanimously passed a resolution to form a ‘National Farmers’ United Forum’ to implement Telangana’s development in agriculture and farmer welfare policies across the country.
Farmers’ union leaders and farmers from 26 states held widespread
discussions with the Chief Minister at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday. They had
discussions on the development of agriculture, irrigation and power sectors
in Telangana and the implementation of farmer welfare programmes and the
progress of other agricultural-related projects in the state.
In a day-long meeting, the Chief Minister explained the policies being
implemented by the Telangana government for the benefit of farmers. “The
government provides irrigation projects for farmers, drinking water,
round-the-clock power supply, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, Rythu Vedika,
procurement of crops from farmers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mission
Bhagiratha, Aasara pensions, Kalyana Laxmi and other schemes.
Interacting with the farmers, the Chief Minister felt that even after 75
years of Independence in the country, the Centre governments failed to
provide basic facilities to farmers and encourage the farming sector.
“We have to make elaborate discussions on why the governments have failed in
taking measures for the benefit of farmers. It is unfortunate that the
governments deliberately neglected farmers by not bringing pro-farmer Bills
and these governments targeted the states which encourage the farmers,” the
Chief Minister said.
“India has natural resources and cultivable agricultural land. India has
abundant water resources, farmlands and human resources more than China,
America and other countries. The total cultivable land in India is 40,000
crore acres and it requires only 40,000 tmc ft of water for irrigation. It
is unfortunate that people in the country are waiting for sufficient
irrigation and safe drinking water despite the availability of 70,000 tmc ft
of water in India. The total installed capacity of power generation in India
is 4 lakh megawatts. Practically, we are using not more than 2 lakh
megawatts,” the Chief Minister said.
Several senior farmer union leaders, who participated in the recent farmer’s
struggle which brought the country’s farmers’ problems to the world’s
attention, expressed their views in the meeting. They said the time had come
to unite the entire farming community and Chandrashekar Rao should take
initiative in this regard.
All the leaders of farmers’ associations who participated in the meeting
requested to adopt Telangana model agricultural policies in the country.
This is the first time in the country that a Chief Minister had given so
much time to farmers’ leaders, said the union leaders.
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