Famers Representatives Meet Agri Minister

Hyderabad: The Telangana Rythu Sangham bearers met agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao and discussed measures to be taken to resolve the issues faced by farmers, something that had been promised in the Congress’ election manifesto.

The issues raised during the meet included plugging of around 20 loopholes in the Dharani website, which the a BRS government Cabinet committee had acknowledged. The farmers had paid Rs.1,650 in the Mee seva centres with around 4.5 lakh of them giving requisitions. District-level meets were to be held to identify the problems for giving pass books and land issues solved by holding gram sabhas.

Reiterating the need for relaunching a crop insurance against the backdrop of around Rs.5,000 crore crop losses every year, sangham president T. Sagar said, “The state government should pay the premium on behalf of the farmers.”

On the identification of tenant farmers in the revenue registers, the farmers’ representatives sought implementation of the 2011 Tenancy Act. The subsidy of Rs.12,500 has to be given to all cultivators they sought.

Stressing the need for completing medium irrigation projects in the next one year, Mood Shoban, vice-president of the sangham, sought judicial probe into irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project and punishment of the guilty.

Raising other demands, he said, “The government needs to give sprinklers and drip irrigation equipment. The loss of crops in around four to five lakh acres owing to spurious seeds should be checked. The guilty should be punished and farmers compensated. The guilty seed companies should be wound up.”

They also sought formulation of a crop plan, and implementation of minimum support prices for crops along with payment of bonus along with Rs.2 lakh farm loan waiver. Government should open the closed sugar factories and give rights papers as per the 2006 Forest Rights Act, the sangham said.