Provide immediate support to cyclone-hit farmers: roundtable

Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari district): A roundtable meeting held at Rajamahendravaram on Monday under the auspices of the CPI demanded that the government provide immediate support to the farmers affected by Cyclone Michaung, declare the areas affected by the lack of rain as drought mandals and release government assistance.

The conference appealed to declare Cyclone Michaung as a national calamity.

The meeting was chaired by CPI district secretary Tatipaka Madhu.

CPI national executive committee member Akkineni Vanaja criticised Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for breaking the backbone of the farmers with his manipulative policies.

Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) are not providing the required support to farmers, she said. The farmers have suffered severely due to drought and cyclones.

She announced that a dharna would be held under the auspices of the opposition parties and farmers’ associations at the Rajahmundry Sub-Collector’s Office on Wednesday to protest against the State government’s “careless attitude” towards farmers.

She criticised the State government for not issuing warnings in advance on Cyclone Michaung to farmers through RBKs even though the Central government had cancelled trains and flights taking into consideration the severity of the cyclone. This is the reason why the farmers have faced severe losses, she opined.

She wondered why Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had failed to seek any help from the Centre towards cyclone relief and did not visit the cyclone-hit farmers.

She demanded compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for paddy, Rs 75,000 per acre for commercial crops and Rs 1 lakh per acre for horticulture crops.

TDP leaders Adireddy Apparao, Kasi Naveen Kumar, Congress leader Balepalli Muralidhar, Indian Association of Lawyers (IAL) State president Muppalla Subbarao, CPM leaders B Pawan, CPI (ML) New Democracy representatives Cheekatla Venkateswara Rao, K Joji, Raghu from BSP, Prasad from RPI and Farmers Association representative P Nageswara Rao were present at the roundtable meeting.