Kadapa: Palle Jeevam, boon to smaller farmers

Kadapa: The state government has selected 9 mandals in Kadapa district for implementing 'Palle Jeevam' scheme taken up under Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project (APDMP). The scheme will be a boon to the farmers in the drought-hit mandals. According to the sources, the Mandals which have been receiving scanty rainfall all these years have been selected for implementing the scheme. The selected mandals are: 1. Chakrayapeta, 2 Vemula, 3 Vempalle, 4 Sambepalle, 5 T Sundupalle, 6 Chinnamandem, 7 Lakkireddy Palle, 8 Ramapuram and 9 Galiveedu.

As these mandals have been experiencing drought conditions for more than 15 years (from 2000 to 2018), the state government has decided to initiate several measures to improve living standards of farming community in the drought hit mandals in the district.

Under this new concept called 'Palle Jeevam' government will implement technical procedures in agriculture and allied fields like dairy farms, animal husbandry etc to increase the income sources of the farmers. Farmers among SCs and STs, and also small farmers would be given priority under APDMP .

Joint Collector M Gouthami who is taking care to implement the project, said to The Hans India that Palle Jeevam will be a boon for small and marginal, SC ST farmers. Government will extend necessary help to improve their financial status.

She said under Palle Jeevam government will take several steps to increase ground water levels by installing bore wells at free of cost. She said top priority should be given for horticulture crops, animal husbandry and dairy farm farmers, natural farming, Farm ponds, growing sheep, and goats with the aim to provide good income with less investments.

She said awareness camps will be organised to farmers over implementation less water management procedures by investing less amounts and to get better yields.

A farmer R Venkatakrishna of T Sundupalle mandal said Palle Jeevam will help to prevent the migration of farmers in the mandals facing water scarcity. "About 75 per cent of youth in the mandals are forced to go on migration due to drought conditions for the last two decades. Palle Jeevam will help us to continue our farming operations without any difficulty, he said.