Santosh Patnaik
Vijayawada: With a single stroke Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday released Rs. 1,766 crore for crediting into the accounts of farmers.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday released the third tranche of ‘YSR Rythu Bharosa – PM Kisan’ of about Rs. 1,120 crore along with the compensation of Rs. 646 crore for crops damaged during the Nivar cyclone, supporting 8.34 lakh farmers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the State Government had spent Rs. 61,400 crore towards farmers’ welfare in the last 18 months adding that he believed that the State would be better if the farmers were free from financial stress.
He said that the State Government was committed to safeguarding the farmers’ interests and thus provided Rs.13,101 crore under YSR Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan by giving Rs.13,500 every year to 51.59 lakh farmers, even including the tenant farmers and those cultivating the forest lands.
Reddy made it clear that his government’s goal was to give better profits to the farmers and thus established Rythu Bharosa Kendras, agri labs, marketing units and promised to set up cold storage, godowns, primary and secondary processing units and Janata Bazaars at the village level.
The previous government that had abandoned the farmers and cheated them by promising to waive off Rs.87,612 crore of farm loans, had hardly spent Rs. 12,000 crore in their 5-year rule. The previous TDP Government had left a huge pile of debts to farmers including the subsidy and providing ex-gratia to 434 farmers’ families who committed suicide during TDP rule, he alleged.
With regard to input subsidy, he said that the State Government had paid Rs. 1,038.46 crore between June-November compensating the crop loss due to heavy rains and floods.
Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, Minister for Agriculture Kurasala Kannababu, Special Chief Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, Commissioner of Agriculture Arun Kumar, Special Commissioner of Marketing P.S. Pradhyumna, AP Agri Mission Vice-Chairman M.V.S. Nagireddy, and others were present.
