Naidu Announces Rs 25,000/Hectare Aid for Paddy Farmers Hit by Floods

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has announced a compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare for rain-flood-related loss to paddy in the state this time.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday did an aerial survey of Eluru district to assess the damage or loss to crops. Later, he reviewed with officials the flood situation around Kolleru Lake and the Upputeru and Tammileru canals.

Naidu promised to enumerate the loss due to floods in a transparent manner and do justice to every affected farmer. He said, “I can understand the agony of the farmers. Their crops were lost at a time when they were hoping to harvest them soon.”

The Chief Minister drew a comparison between the TD and YSRC governments in payment of such compensation to farmers. He said, “Before 2019, the TD government used to give Rs 16,000 per hectare as relief to the affected paddy farmers. This was enhanced to Rs 17,000 by Jagan Mohan Reddy. Now, I would raise it majorly and provide paddy farmers Rs 25,000 as relief per hectare.”

Naidu also promised compensation to tenant farmers for crop loss. “Nearly 70 per cent of those who are involved in farming are tenant farmers,” he noted.

The Chief Minister promised to remit input subsidy directly into the bank accounts of the tenant farmers. He also announced that all those who lost their crops and livestock and whose houses collapsed would get their compensation amounts by Sept 17.

Referring to the unprecedented floods in the Krishna river, Naidu said the Budameru canal got huge inflow of water, causing breaches to its bunds at three places. This was because of encroachments. The YSRC government failed to take up regular maintenance and repair of canals and drains in the last five years, he alleged.

Naidu promised to take up execution of the Polavaram irrigation project as “we could convince the Centre to release Rs 12,000 crore for the project.”

Later in the day, the Chief Minister visited Kakinada district and inspected the flood-hit paddy fields and habitations at Rajupalem. He moved around the affected areas on an earthmover along with the local pubic representatives and the officials.

He noted that the Yeleswaram reservoir got nearly 47,000 cusecs of water due to heavy rains. About 27,000 cusecs of water was released downstream resulting in several areas getting flooded. “We would modernise the Yeleru canal to help avoid floods and its impact on crops and the people,” he said.

The Chief Minister said an app was being developed so that complaints from the people on any issue would directly reach him. He would initiate steps to speedily resolve them.