Praja Rajyam Chief Chiranjeevi Works in Fields

The Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi got a few lessons in agriculture in the cotton fields of a remote village, Rupi Reddy Palle, in the Maoist-affected Regonda mandal on Monday. For the first time during his yatra in the district, Chiranjeevi got down from his vehicle and ventured into the cotton fields, surprising the women farmers working there. The women flocked around their matinee idol and began narrating their woes. Ms Panchagiri Radha complained that they were not getting a competitive price for their cotton. She also pointed to the irregular power supply.

Ms Vannala Rani told Chiranjeevi that they were losing money to spurious seeds and pesticides. Mr Chiranjeevi blamed their woes on the government. "The suicides among cotton farmers were really painful. Is it such a big problem to overcome," he asked.