APSRTC buses to ply in state after 1 pm on Bharat Bandh
Dec 07, 2020
Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 8 : In the wake of Bharat Bandh tomorrow, buses of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will not ply till 1 pm in the entire state on Tuesday, said state Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu on Monday.
"Our government is respecting the sentiments in connection with the Bharat Bandh to be held by farmer unions all over the country. If the farmers' unions will not allow any violent incidents and conclude their bandh by 1 PM, there will be no inconvenience to the public. Meanwhile, we order all state government offices to be opened only after 1 PM. We further order APSRTC not to run any bus services till 1 PM. We appeal to the farmer unions to hold bandh in a peaceful manner," Kannababu was quoted as saying in an official statement.
"The central government is holding discussions with farmer unions on new farm laws. We are hopeful that these discussions will be fruitful and the farmers' agitation for Minimum Support Price (MSP) will be resolved as soon as possible," he added.
Kannababu also attacked Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and said that it supported the central farm laws unconditionally in the Parliament.
He said: "We bring to the notice of the public another issue also. Everybody knows that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had supported the farm bills unconditionally when they were placed in the Parliament. At the same time, it is well known that YSRCP had given conditional support to the farm bills only after the central government giving assurance for Minimum Support Price and that farmers' interests will not be hampered."
"But we came to know through media that Chandrababu Naidu has taken another U-turn, and decided to give memoranda to collectors at district headquarters. Chandrababu Naidu's party had given unconditional support to the farm bills in Parliament then but is going to give memoranda to collectors now. TDP has stooped to such low-level politics. What role district collectors have regarding the farm laws of central government?" he added.
Kannababu further said: "The bills were passed in September, but Chandrababu Naidu did not even write a single letter to the central government. Even today, he is not stating that he will hold a dharna at Delhi, like in the past. Then why is he playing a drama?"
Farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws--Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmers' leaders have held several rounds of talks with the government but all of them remained inconclusive so far. After the fifth round of talks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has called another meeting on December 9.
