The Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers Association has launched a scathing attack on the ruling coalition, questioning with what “face or moral right” the government plans to address farmers during its upcoming nationwide outreach program scheduled from November 24 to December 2.
In a statement on Sunday (November 23), the association’s president E. Katamayya and general secretary P. Jamalayya accused the government of completely abandoning the promises it made to farmers in the election campaign. They said the coalition leaders had repeatedly assured that once in power, they would repeal the earlier Tenant Farming Act, easily issue identity cards to tenant farmers and extend the Annadata Sukhibhav scheme to all landless cultivators. “Eighteen months have passed and not a single promise has been fulfilled,” they claimed.
Leaders said tenant farming has become central to the state’s agriculture, with nearly 80% of the land farmed by tenant farmers. Despite the chief minister’s announcement at the state-level bankers’ committee meeting that banks would offer low-interest crop loans to tenants, three farming seasons have passed without any progress, they said.
They further accused the government of scrapping the free crop insurance scheme and burdening tenant farmers with high premiums while failing to ensure minimum support price (MSP), forcing farmers to sell produce at emergency prices. Association leaders described the government’s attitude as “negligent and insensitive” and questioned why the promised new law to benefit tenant farmers has not materialized. They also criticized the distribution of Annadata Sukhibhav benefits to non-cultivating landowners while excluding actual tenant cultivators.
Demanding accountability, the leaders said the government should visit farmers’ houses not for publicity but to apologize for failing to meet its commitments.
Published – 23 Nov 2025 16:52 IST
