Former Agriculture Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) combined Nellore district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy on Saturday lashed out at Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for not announcing any financial assistance so far to farmers who suffered severe crop losses due to Cyclone Montha.
Addressing the media at the district YSRCP office, Mr. Govardhan Reddy accused the coalition government of turning a blind eye to the plight of the cyclone-affected farmers. “The NDA government has completely failed to take precautionary measures in the wake of the cyclone. Moreover, they are shamelessly promoting the Chief Minister as if he handled the situation efficiently,” he alleged.
He said the Chief Minister and his son, IT Minister Nara Lokesh, were busy making foreign trips “to appease the people,” while Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu “failed to take necessary steps to help the affected farmers.” “What steps has the government taken to support the people? What plan has been prepared to provide compensation?” he asked.
Recalling the previous YSRCP government’s measures to support farmers, Mr. Govardhan Reddy said, “We stood by them at every step through initiatives such as e-crop registration, free crop insurance, and the price stabilisation fund. Nearly ₹7,802 crore was paid as compensation to farmers who lost crops through the crop insurance scheme during our five-year term.” He alleged that the NDA government had discontinued the scheme.
He demanded that the State government immediately pay compensation to all cyclone-affected farmers, irrespective of political affiliation. Otherwise, he warned, he would fight alongside the farmers “to any extent.” He also challenged leaders of the coalition parties to take part in a public debate on the issue.
Published – November 01, 2025 07:47 pm IST
