Ongole: BJP demands compensation to rain-hit farmers in district

Ongole: The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders demanded the State government to estimate the loss to the crops due to the heavy rains in the district and conduct repairs to the roads immediately.

Speaking at the press meet in the BJP office here, the party parliamentary constituency president Sirasanagandla Srinivasulu said that the farmers cultivated various crops in about 5 lakh acres in the district for Kharif season with chilli, cotton, red gram and black gram alone occupying about three lakh acres in them.

He complained that due to the incessant rains in the district for the last ten days, the fields were inundated and are still under floodwater at many places. Chilli, cotton and others in Ongole, Giddalur, Kanigiri, Markapuram, Yerragondapalem areas are completely damaged while tobacco farmers also suffered a major loss.

He said that the farmers lost the opportunity for crop insurance as the government showed negligence in registering them under Bima Yojana in the prescribed time and their chances of receiving compensation are dim. He demanded the government to take responsibility and announce compensation to the farmers who lost their crops as part of the relief measures.

Srinivasulu said that the Ongole to Podili road has been already damaged due to the negligence of the government and the heavy rains ruined the situation further and people travelling on the roads are meeting with accidents.

He demanded the government to repair the Ongole-Podili road and all other roads that are damaged due to the downpour.

BJP AP SC Morcha president Balakotaiah, AP Minority Morcha former president Khalifatulla Basha, district ST Morcha president Edukondalu, town president Kambhampati Anjaneyulu and others also participated in the meeting.