Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao, while stating that officials have been asked to make an assessment of the crop damage in the state, added that they will pay compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre to the farmers, which is way above the central government’s prescribed norm of Rs.6,000 per acre.
The agriculture department is estimating the crop loss due to the recent unseasonal rains spread over 20,071 acres, mainly in Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts. Sources in agriculture department said that maize and paddy crops have been the worst hit.
The damage to horticulture crop is said to be minimal although any further rains could cause heavier damages.
In a video message the minister said, “Our predecessors released only Rs.151 crore and did not pay damages to the tune of Rs.250 crore that was estimated in the second phase. They did not even make an assessment of the losses after the third round of rains. This shows that the previous government paid a mere Rs.151 crore during its entire ten-year period. It is laughable that BRS leaders are now shedding crocodile tears for farmers.”
On Rythu Bandhu, the minister said, “Payments for four to five acres farmers will be completed shortly. Amounts were paid until last May, which implies that 90 per cent of farmers would have got rythu bandhu benefits. The scheme, rechristened as rythu Bharosa, will begin next year. The earlier government’s loan waiver was enough for payment of interest to farmers in the first tenure and during the second term, payment of Rs.7,000 crore was made by selling rights on the outer ring road. As of now, an amount of Rs.13,000 crore remains to be paid. For someone who could not provide water for the first crop, how can BRS leaders accuse us of not giving water for the second crop? Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects were emptied by letting their water into Bay of Bengal.”
On honouring their promise of rupees two lakh loan waiver, he said, “A decision has not been taken on it yet but it will be done in one go. There is no water in projects like Nagarjuna Sagar. We have to ask the Karnataka government for water, which will be brought from Yellampalli reservoir to meet the drinking water needs of Hyderabad. Water will also be pumped from the dead storage level, if needed.”
