Jittery State gives ex-gratia ahead of Jagan Yatra

Hyderabad, Feb 20: Affirming that its stand on farmers' suicides has been vindicated with TDP Government announcing ex-gratia, YSR Congress said the State has always been waking up with a jerk ahead of our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's agitation programmes and this has become a pattern.

'We are happy that the kin of the family of farmers who committed suicides are getting ex-gratia but the timing coincides with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's Rytu Bharosa Yatra to be taken up in Ananthapuram Dt. from February 22 to 26 which is a meek move to preempt farmers rallying behind our leader,' party spokesperson K Parthasarathi told reporters here on Friday.

Whenever our Party announces an agitation, the State reacts with some sops. When the mandal level dharna programme was announced, the State has released the list of eligible names for loan waiver, when the agitation was escalated to district headquarters, a meagre amount was released for loan waiver and when we have announced the Rytu Bharosa Yatra, came the GO sanctioning Rs five lakh to the families of those farmers who committed suicide.

'This is the victory of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as his agitation programme has forced the State to come to terms and the farmers' kin are getting ex-gratia.

TDP leaders had earlier criticised us when we mentioned about the suicides of farmers and weavers. With the Ananthapuram district collector announcing the number of suicides, our stand has been vindicated. It is nice to see that Chandrababu Naidu is emulating YSR in giving ex-gratia to farmers.

The Rytu Bharosa Yatra will be held as announced and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will tour Ananthapuram district from February 22 to 26 to console the family members who lost their dear ones due to the anti-farmer policies of the State,' he said.

The State has been taking up Pattiseema project, only to scuttle the Polavaram project as the aims and objectives are identical and the way it is going ahead with the temporary project, it seems there are some irregularities and the stage is set for calling tenders in a hurry, he said.

Condemning the boisterous remarks that the big victory margin in Tirupati by-election is a referendum on the governance, he said, 'it was one-sided as YSRCP did not field a candidate on compassionate grounds and if the State wants to prove its ability the cabinet ministers should seek a reelection,' he said.