Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy on Thursday stood shoulder-to-shoulder with over 120 distressed farmers in Simhadripuram mandal, demanding urgent government intervention after a local Horticulture Assistant allegedly fled with ₹20 lakh paid for 900 kg of chickpea seeds, plunging the agrarian community into despair just as sowing season approaches in drought-prone Rayalaseema.
The Scam Unraveled: Fake Receipts and Fleeting Funds
The fraud surfaced when farmers, eager to procure seeds for rabi crops, handed over ₹20 lakh to the assistant, who issued dubious acknowledgment slips on plain white paper some lacking official stamps and even accepted payments for urea, only to vanish without delivering the promised 900 kg. “The innocent farmers should not be penalised as the government staff is the culprit here,” Reddy asserted, highlighting the betrayal in a region where timely inputs can mean the difference between harvest and hardship for smallholders reliant on government schemes.
Reddy’s Rallying Cry: Three Weeks of Inaction Demands Probe
Pacifying the agitated crowd, Reddy lambasted the administration’s silence: “No action despite three weeks passing the official gave slips on white paper, some without rubber stamps.” He called for an immediate investigation, seed reallocation from state stocks, and compensation to mitigate losses, underscoring YSRCP’s legacy of farmer-centric policies like Rythu Bharosa and zero-interest loans that contrast with past delays.
Broader Implications: Protecting Vulnerable Farmers in Rayalaseema
This incident exposes vulnerabilities in supply chains for marginalized growers in Pulivendula, where weaker sections dominate; Reddy vowed to escalate to higher authorities, ensuring justice and reinforcing welfare as a right.
YSRCP’s Stance: Empowerment Over Exploitation
Avinash Reddy’s intervention aligns with YSRCP’s ethos of grassroots accountability, turning distress into dialogue for sustainable agrarian support.