Kurnool: TDP seeks aid to chilli crop growers

Kurnool: TDP Kodumur constituency in-charge D Vishnuvardhan Reddy demanded the government to extend financial assistance to the farmers whose chilli crop was set on fire by some miscreants. Accompanied with some farmers, he visited Gundrevula village in C Belagal mandal on Sunday and inspected the chilli farm.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishnuvardhan Reddy said that a farmer G Ganganna has cultivated chilli crop to an extent of 1.5 acres. He has taken the land on lease and has invested a huge amount after borrowing from moneylenders. The crop has already come to hand at the harvesting stage. In the meantime, some miscreants have set the entire crop on fire, said Vishnuvardhan Reddy.

Ganganna, who is supporting his entire family depending upon his hardearned money, is now dragged into neck deep troubles. The farmer has invested nearly Rs 3-4 lakh to raise the crop. As the chilli crop was burnt to ashes, the farmer may not repay the debts borrowed and if the debts are not repaid the moneylenders would exert pressure.

At this juncture to save the farmer and his family members from taking extreme steps, the only solution is to immediately extend financial assistance so that he can restore the damage to some extent, Vishnuvardhan Reddy said.

He demanded the police to arrest the culprits immediately and punish them severely so that no such incident repeat in future.

If the government did not extend financial assistance to the farmer, he said they would stage a protest in front of the collectorate with a huge number of farmers. He also demanded to hand over the case to the CB-CID department.