Date:04/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/04/stories/2008080452460500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

‘Ignoring farm sector is disastrous’

Staff Reporter

32nd death anniversary of Tarimela Nagi Reddy observed

VISAKHAPATNAM: Social activist P. Jaswantha Rao on Sunday said attempts to dismantle the agriculture sector after liberalisation of economy would be disastrous to the country’s economy.

He was speaking at the 32nd death anniversary of noted revolutionary Tarimela Nagi Reddy.

The second volume of “Historical and Polemical Documents of Communist Movement in India” was released at a meeting conducted by Tarimela Nagi Reddy Memorial Trust.

Dr. Rao, who is the secretary of the trust, said corporate farming and acquisition of farmlands for Special Economic Zones and other industrial projects by displacing small and marginal farmers was being pursued vigorously due to pressure from World Bank and imperialist forces like the United States.

He said World Bank had already opened its offices in Delhi and Chennai and was dictating the policy-making process in the country. “It is unfortunate that taxes are levied after and before the budget and the entire budget exercise is undertaken to please World Bank bosses,” he said with a note of sarcasm. Dr. Rao also cited how the World Bank had not sanctioned single paise for irrigation projects taken up under Jala Yagam programme. He said the civilian nuclear deal signed by the United Progressive Alliance government would only benefit the advanced countries and India had to depend on the US for procuring uranium and nuclear reactors.

Andhra University Associate Professor (economics) M. Prasada Rao said the new industrial process had led to contract employment and the negligence of agriculture labour had caused migration of labour, spate of suicide by farmers and despair among the marginalised sections.

Trust chairman B. Suryanarayana Reddy also spoke, . Trust member Adari Appa Rao presided. Dr. Y. Sudheer Reddy, B. Gurava Reddy, trustees, Nirmalananda of Jana Sahiti, Anjaneya Murthy, rights activist and Dr. Srinivasan from M.N.J. Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad were present.