NDA govt. hiked chickpea seed subsidy cut to 25% by YSRCP regime, says Atchannaidu

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Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu.

Agriculture Minister K. Atchannaidu on Thursday questioned former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over the reduction in subsidies and supply of chickpea and green manure seeds under the YSRCP regime during 2019–24.

He asked why the subsidy on chickpea seeds, which was 50% in 2018–19, was reduced to 30% and subsequently to 25% during the YSRCP government. The present coalition government had increased it from 25% to 35%, he said.

The Minister also questioned the reduction of the subsidy on green manure seeds from 75% during the earlier TDP regime to 50% under the YSRCP government.

He said the average annual supply of chickpea seeds, which was 3.20 lakh quintals during 2014–19, declined to 1.55 lakh quintals during 2019–24.

The government had taken steps to increase chickpea seed supply from 1.50 lakh quintals to 2.50 lakh quintals in 2026–27, Mr. Atchannaidu said. The allocation for chickpea seed subsidy had also been increased from ₹29 crore earlier to ₹78.75 crore this year, he said.

He alleged that the previous government had left nearly ₹477 crore in arrears to seed supply agencies between 2019 and 2023 and demanded an explanation from Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy over this.

The present government had made ₹240 crore available for seed subsidy and provided an additional ₹109 crore, taking the total to about ₹348 crore, he said.

Contingency seeds were being distributed with an 80% subsidy, and 40,000 quintals had already reached Rythu Seva Kendras. Steps were being taken to supply the remaining quantity, the Minister said.

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