HYDERABAD: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced Rs 10,000 per acre compensation to the farmers who lost their standing crops due to hailstorm and unseasonal rains last week.
He directed the officials to release Rs 228 crore towards compensation. He also declared that the state government would not send any report to the Centre on crop damages seeking compensation as it would be a futile exercise.
Urging the farmers not to lose their confidence, he said the BJP government at the Centre wants only "politics", not the welfare of the farmers, which was proved earlier. The Centre did not release any financial assistance, despite state sent reports on rain and crop damages, KCR said. The Telangana government would come to the rescue of the farmers in the state and even tenant farmers would also get compensation for rain damages.
The CM visited various rain affected villages in Khammam, Mahbubabad, Warangal and Karimnagar district on Thursday along with officials and interacted with the farmers. He said 2.28 lakh acres crops including 1.29 lakh acres Maize, 72,709 acres Paddy, 8,805 acres Mangoes were damaged due to the rains.
"As per the Centre's code, the farmers would not get anything. The Centre would give Rs 3,332 per acre for Maize, Rs 5,400 per acre for Paddy and Rs 7,200 acre for Mangoes, which is not sufficient to the farmers. The present crop insurance policy of the Centre would only help the insurance companies, not the farmers. It is like playing a flute before a buffalo," KCR said at a press conference at Ravinuthalapadu in Khammam district on Thursday.
KCR criticised the Centre for wrong agricultural policies and announced that the country needs a new agriculture policy, which would be provided by the BRS government at the Centre.
