A.P. Rythu Sangham demands new law to protect tenant farmers

The Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham on Friday (January 02, 2025) urged the State government to immediately enact a new law to protect the interests of tenant farmers and to ensure the implementation of promised financial assistance schemes. 

The demand was raised by Sangham’s district secretary K. Srinivas at a meeting of temple land tenant farmers here on Friday. The meeting focused on the problems faced by tenant farmers, particularly those cultivating temple and inam lands. 

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Srinivas criticised the government for failing to fulfil its promise of introducing a new tenant farmers’ law after repealing the 2019 Cultivators’ Rights Act. He said the delay was unjustified and had left thousands of tenant farmers without legal protection. 

He demanded that all tenant farmers be issued identity cards under the proposed law and they be made eligible for Annadata Sukhibhava investment assistance. He alleged that denying financial support to tenant farmers, who incur heavy debts to cultivate crops, was discriminatory. The government, he said, should immediately extend an assistance of ₹20,000 to every tenant farmer.

He also demanded that tenant farmers cultivating temple lands be issued lease identity cards to enable them to access crop loans, compensation, and government welfare schemes. Referring to Mudinepalli mandal’s Vadali village, he called for the protection of the rights of service inam land tenant farmers and immediate issuance of identity cards to them.

The Sangham warned that it would intensify its agitation if the government failed to respond promptly to the issues raised by tenant farmers.

Several farmer leaders, including Anagani Srirammurthy, Palli Sridhar, Kunchala Bullibabu, Korikani Venkateswara Rao, Bendu Paparao, Velamala Rambabu, and Mungata Nagavaraprasad, attended the meeting.