Jaggampet (AP), Mar 14: Keeping up her attack on the BJP on the issue of agricultural distress, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said farmers in the country faced a crisis only due to the "wrong" policies of the NDA government.

"As the Prime Minister has recently said, if the farmers have suffered for so many years it is only because of the wrong policies of the NDA government supported by the TDP," she said addressing a public meeting in this town in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh.

Describing the union budget's loan waiver for farmers as a historic step, she said the decision would benefit crores of farmers in the country.

Dismissing criticism of the UPA government by the TDP, she said opposition parties did not do anything for farmers when they were in power.

"The TDP and BJP, which claim to care for farmers, have never thought of helping them by waiving their loans," the Congress president said.

"What they are saying is sheer hypocrasy", Gandhi said.

She was addressing the meeting after inaugurating a lift irrigation project that aims at providing water to about two lakh acres.

Comparing the UPA government's performance with that of the NDA government, Gandhi said the UPA government has increased the minimum support price for paddy by Rs 190 per quintal since it assumed office four years ago. While the MSP was raised only by Rs 60 during the six-year regime of NDA.

Listing out various pro-poor measures initiated by the UPA government, Gandhi said the stipend for Anganwadi workers has also been raised and social security was provided to poor families through the `Aam Admi Beema Yojana'.

Heaping praise on the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's governemnt in the state for its various pro-farmers initiatives, the Congress President said the massive `Jalayagnam irrigation machine' would benfit crores of farmers.

The TDP government did not complete even a single irrigation project when it was in power, she alleged.

Andhra Pradesh has recorded so many "achievements" during Congress rule like effective implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and the remarkable progress of Self-help groups among others, she said.

The Rs 2 per kg rice scheme is yet another measure to help the poor, the Congress chief said.

Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy said his government would soon initiate programmes to benefit farmers who were not covered by the loan waiver announced by the Centre.