VIJAYAWADA
The Andhra Pradesh Tenant Farmers Association on Wednesday accused the state government of neglecting tenant farmers and failing to fulfill election promises even after 22 months in power.
The state Association General Secretary P. Jamalaiah alleged that none of the guarantees given to the tenant farmers had been implemented and demanded the immediate introduction of a new tenancy law to ensure their rights and livelihood.
In response to the nationwide call, protests were held in district collectors with memoranda submitted to officials. In Vijayawada, a demonstration was held at the Collector’s office where the representation was handed over to the District Revenue Officer M. Lakshmi Narasimha.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Jamalaiah called for simplification of issuance of identity cards to tenant farmers from April 1 and demanded crop loans of up to ₹2,000 without collateral, as per RBI norms. He criticized the government for allocating only ₹1,500 crore to tenant farmers while extending crop credit by over ₹2,00,000, alleging that the landowners benefited more than the actual cultivators.
He said tenant farmers have suffered severe losses due to natural calamities and pest attacks, while trade syndicates are exploiting them at low prices. Citing the distress, he claimed more than 300 suicides by farmers, mostly tenants, and the alleged lack of ex gratia support for affected families.
The association urged the government to ensure fair procurement, protect farmers from creditors and introduce a social welfare monitoring system.
Published – 18 March 2026 21:06 IST
