TDP cries foul over voter list verification in Andhra

A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders led by former minister K Atchennaidu, Ramachandra Rao and D Jagadeeswar Rao met the chief electoral officer at the state secretariat here on Tuesday and demanded that voter verification should be done through booth level officers only and not by the village or ward level volunteers, who were recently recruited by the YSRCP government.

The revision of the voters' list is currently underway in Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP leaders alleged that the government has recruited its party cadre as village and ward volunteers and these are likely to remove the names of TDP sympathisers from the voters' list.

They further added that the volunteers are removing the names of TDP supporters from the list of government welfare schemes and are now threatening to remove even their constitutional right to vote.

Speaking to reporters, K Atchennaidu further alleged that the state government is cheating farmers in the name of the Rytu Bharosa scheme which is going to be launched today.

"The government is cheating farmers in the name of the Rytu Bharosa scheme. The YSRCP had promised Rs 10,000 as input subsidy to farmers during the election campaign but now they are giving only Rs 6,500 in three instalments, the rest of the amount will come from central government funds," Atchennaidu said.

He further demanded the state government to provide an input subsidy of Rs 12,500 per farmer every year from its coffers apart from the Rs 6000 being provided by the Center under the PM-KISAN Yojna.

"Also the number of farmers has been reduced from 75 to 40 lakhs now by the YSRCP. Further, the guidelines decided for the scheme will prove to be detrimental to the farmers in getting the benefit," he alleged.

The Andhra Pradesh government is set to launch YSR Rytu Bharosa - PM Kisan scheme for farmers' welfare in the state today from Sarvepalli in Nellore district here.

According to state Agriculture Minister Kanna Babu, an amount of Rs 13,500 will be given to farmers in three instalments under this scheme.