5 months ago
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TDPP person and Narasaraopet MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu on Wednesday drew the attraction of Lok Sabha to the deepening distress of baccy farmers in Palnadu, Guntur, and Prakasam districts in Andhra Pradesh.
During a statement connected the Central Excise Amendment Bill, 2025, Mr. Krishna Devarayalu said that rising debts, rejected auction lots, unsold produce, slumping prices, and shrinking marketplace request had near thousands of farmers successful crisis.
Launching a pointed onslaught connected the ITC Limited, the MP alleged that contempt posting ₹5,187 crore nett net successful Q2 during FY26, the institution failed to meaningfully deploy CSR funds for husbandman payment oregon harvest diversification. He besides alleged that Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), too, did not travel to the rescue of the farmers.
He noted that erstwhile prices collapsed this season, it was the Andhra Pradesh authorities that intervened by spending ₹278 crore to stabilise markets and support growers.
Referring to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s petition for assistance done the Tobacco Board, the MP urged the Centre to stock the load and widen contiguous relief.
ITC, GPI respond
Responding to the comments of Mr. Krishna Devarayalu, the ITC Limited said it had been spending substantial funds connected CSR initiatives. P. Venkatram Reddy, General Manager (Industry Affairs) of ITC, said the company was among India’s astir accordant firm contributors to agrarian development.
D.S. Jithendra Kumar, Senior Vice-President of GPI, said, “We have honoured all our commitments. We issued contracts to farmers for VK Burley (Vinukonda) and HD Burley, and we purchased 100% of the contracted volumes arsenic agreed.”
