Jagan Promises Farmers to Release Input Subsidies by Sankranti Festival

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said relief steps have been initiated in the cyclone-affected areas by way of distribution of essentials. He promised to provide compensation to farmers for their damaged crops as also input subsidies.

The Chief Minister visited the cyclone-affected areas in Tirupati and Bapatla districts on Friday and interacted with the farmers.

He undertook an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Tirupati district along with the district collector, who explained the details of the loss caused by the cyclone.

The Chief Minister said farmers were getting input subsidies and insurance claims promptly, unlike during the TD rule. This time, input subsidy would be paid before the Sankranti festival, he said.

He said 55 lakh farmers received insurance claims worth '7,800 crore in the last 54 months while only 34 lakh farmers received insurance worth ' 3,400 crore during the TD rule.

The CM asked people not to believe in the “false propaganda of the agenda-driven media.”

Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed the cyclone victims at Balireddy Palem in Vakadu Mandalam and told them the state government would extend financial support to all farmers who suffered crop loss due to the cyclone.

On the way to Balireddy Palem from Vidyanagar helipad, the Chief Minister examined the breach in the Swarnamukhi river, visited some of the affected paddyfields and spoke to the farmers.

The Chief Minister spoke to the accompanying officials and enquired about the progress of the restoration of civic amenities like drinking water and power supply and of the plans for repairs to damaged roads.

He asked the officials to do the enumeration of crop losses.

Some 8,364 people have been shifted to 92 relief camps and more than 60,000 people have been supplied the groceries including 25 kg of rice. Every flooded house would be given Rs 2,500 each in the next four or five days. Volunteers and village secretariat staff would distribute the amount, the CM said.

He said farmers who have suffered crop loss in the cyclone would be supplied seeds with an 80 per cent subsidy within a week.

The Chief Minister also said that officials have proposed a high-level bridge across River Swarnamukhi. The government was ready to build it at a cost of '30 crore.

The government has received proposals on repairing nearly 110 tanks damaged in the cyclone and an amount of '32 crore has been sanctioned for this purpose. The repair works would soon begin, he said.

Reiterating that this was a people’s government, the Chief Minister promised the people that the administration was ready to help them in difficult times.

Interacting with the cyclone victims at Pathandaya Palem in Bapatla district, the Chief Minister said that all the cyclone-affected would receive financial aid. “The government has evolved a system to help the victims of natural calamities and volunteers and village secretariat staff are identifying the cyclone-affected victims and displaying the lists at the Secretariats.”

“Names missed in the relief lists would be included after social audit,” he said, adding that people were free to contact officials if their names were not found for any reason. Bapatla MLA Kona Raghupati and others were present.