BJP demands white papers on crop damage compensations

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government’s sudden realisation of the existence of tenant farmers and the promise of crop damage compensation to them is a mere political stunt, the BJP said on Friday. The party made it clear that it stands for farmers affected by the recent rains and compensation must be paid to them.

BJP Dubbak MLA M. Raghunandan Rao speaking with reporters that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who repeatedly disowned tenant farmers, including in speeches in the Assembly, has suddenly started taking an interest in their existence. This is because he realized that this is not ‘Shubakrtuh nama samvatsaram but election nama samvatsaram’.

He realised that if he does not speak about tenant farmers, then in this election year, he will face problems,” Raghunandan Rao said.

He also demanded that the Chief Minister release white papers on all details pertaining to tenant farmers in Telangana, along with white papers on how much in funds Telangana received as National Disaster Response Funds since 2014 and how the funds were spent, on details of crop damages in Telangana along with district and farmer wise compensation distributed data and whether utilization certificates were sent to the Centre in this regard.

Raghunandan Rao demanded that the state government must issue a white paper on how it arrived at a figure of 2,25,500 acres in which crop damages occurred due the recent rains this month.

“This must include details of each official, his or her visits to the field, data gathered from each affected farmer on the extent of his or her loss. Is the Chief Minister ready to release these white papers,” the BJP MLA asked.

On the issue of share of SDRF funds in the '10,000 per acre compensation announced by the Chief Minister and government orders making it clear that SDRF amounts are to be used, Raghunandan Rao advised Chandrashekar Rao to first learn that the Centre, since 2014, gave Telangana '3,000 crore as SDR funds, and tell people how the money was used.