VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has credited Rs 542.06 crore as input subsidy into accounts of 5,97,311 farmers, whose crops had been damaged due to heavy rains and floods in November last year. He also deposited Rs 29.51 crore into accounts of other 1,220 farmer groups under the YSR Farm Mechanisation Scheme.
Transferring the total Rs 571.57 crore deposits into farmers’ accounts with a click on his computer, the Chief Minister declared that AP is the only state, which is working for the development and welfare of peasants by offering all services, including banking, through the innovative Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs).
Jagan Mohan Reddy pointed out that the state government has so far paid Rs 1,612 crore as input subsidy to 19.93 lakh farmers in the last two and half years as compensation for crop loss due to heavy rains and floods. These deposits have been made in the same season in which the loss had occurred. Besides, 1.21 lakh quintals of seeds have been given an 80 per cent subsidy to farmers who suffered losses during Rabi.
On the occasion, Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the previous government of neglecting farmers with untimely payments. In 2018, the TD regime had not paid the input subsidy of ₹ 1,832 crores in Kharif and ₹ 356 crores in Rabi, while leaving tenant farmers out of all government schemes. But the current government is standing by each and every farmer, including tenant farmers.
Going into details, the Chief Minister said Rs 123 crore input subsidy had been paid in April 2020 for crop loss that occurred up to March 2020. Similarly, Rs 278 crore got paid in October against crop loss between April-October 2020. During the Nivar cyclone, the compensation amounted to Rs 646 crore due to which 8.35 lakh farmers benefited within a month of Nivar. For the Gulab cyclone, a compensation of Rs 22 crore had been paid in less than two months.
Jagan Mohan Reddy reminded people that the previous government had left a huge pile of dues to farmers, including subsidy for crops, seeds, insurance, electricity arrears, and zero-interest loans. He pointed out that the YSRC government cleared all these pending arrears, including Rs 960 crore for paddy procurement and Rs 383 crore for seed subsidy.
The CM underlined that Rs 19,126 crore have been credited under YSR Rythu Bharosa, Rs 1,218 crore under zero-interest loans for farmers, Rs 23,000 crore for free power supply and another Rs 1,700 crore for strengthening electricity feeders across the state.
In addition, agriculture advisory committees have started functioning at village, mandal, district and state levels to resolve farmers' issues. Further, 10,750 community hiring centres have been set up at an expenditure of Rs 2,134 crore to assist farmers in acquiring farm inputs.
