*84 farmers committed suicide till date

*Will picket Collector offices on Dec 5
*Babu's popularity on a downward spiral: Jagan

*YSRCP will be the voice of the people

Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that YSR Congress will hold protest dharnas at all District Collector offices on December 5 to voice the concern and ire of people who feel cheated as the TDP government has failed in implementing loan waiver scheme and has been downsizing welfare schemes to match its meager budgetary allocations.

“Normally it takes a couple of years for anti-incumbency factor to set in for any government but it is widespread and very strong in Andhra Pradesh in less than six months as TDP Government is pursuing anti people policies. We will be the voice of the people and will hold protest dharnas across the State with the affected sections joining us in large numbers,” he told reporters in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

We will ask the Chief Minister, pointed questions on behalf of the people and the agitation would be further intensified if the State continues to neglect, farmers, women groups, pensioners and other sections, he said.

The deception in loan waiver scheme is very clear as the agriculture loans account for Rs 87, 000 and farmers are forced to pay penal interest at the rate of 14 % while the budgetary allocation is very meager and the Chief Minister boasts that he has cleared 20 % of loan waiver.

The pinch is felt by all the farmers as the penal interest for two years would run into Rs 28,000 while the budget allocation if far less than this amount, leave alone the sum of loan. The farmers are not eligible for crop insurance as well and are into hardships. There are 84 deaths due to indebtedness and he anti-farmer policies of the TDP government.

DWACRA groups also have become defaulters as they too did not repay the loans totaling to Rs 14,000 believing the poll promises of Chandrababu Naidu and are now in deep trouble, he said.

On the pensions front as well Chandrababu Naidu has drastically cut down the number of beneficiaries. While the actual beneficiaries are 43, 11,686 and the amount allocated in the budget is less than one-third of what is required which makes the Chief Minister’s intentions very clear. He is slashing the number of beneficiaries to suit the paltry amount he has allocated in the budget.

The very same list of pensioners was declared eligible after a careful survey earlier, but now TDP government is weeding out many genuine candidates to match its budget figures. In north coastal Andhra along with the demands of loan waiver and pensions, additional demands will be made for taking up proper relief and rehabilitation work, he said.

When asked about Telangana, he said YSR Congress is the first Party to raise the famers issue and the Party leaders have met the Governor. We will be with the farmers and affected section and fight for their cause in both the States, he said.