YSR Congress leaders made to wait for CM

HYDERABAD: YSR Congress party leaders who went to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on farmers’ issue at the Secretariat on Wednesday were made to wait for one-and-half hours before they were given a two-minute interview with him. After the meeting of the YSR Congress Party, the leaders had decided to meet chief minister and submit a memorandum on farmers’ issue. A party delegation led by Konatala Ramakrishna, Ambati Rambabu and others went to the Secretariat at 6.15 p.m. But as the chief minister was busy, the leaders had to wait for one-and-half hours to finally get a two-minute appointment.Later, speaking to reporters, Konatala Ramakrishna said that though there were two major calamities after the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, the state government had failed to bail out farmers in the state. The Congress was in power both at the Centre and the State, but it was unable to provide succour to farmers, he alleged.Earlier, at the party meeting, YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he had faith in the people and the party would come out with flying colours whenever elections were held.Jagan said that the farmers were in a pathetic condition after the death of his father. The state government promised input subsidy but was unable to provide it. The paddy procurement was not also encouraging, he pointed out. As the farm loans had not been rescheduled, the farmers were unable to get fresh loans to grow new crops, he claimed.The farmers were declaring crop holiday on their own in some places, Jagan said and declared that if the state government fails to purchase all the paddy from farmers, the party would stage dharnas before the collectorates.