Warangal: Ministers assure relief to rain-hit farmers

Warangal: After the last minute cancellation of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's visit to erstwhile Warangal district on Tuesday, the State delegation - Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Rythu Bandhu Samithi State president Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and MLC Pochampally Srinivas Reddy – has extensively covered Narsampet and Parkal constituencies where farmers lost their standing crops due to recent hailstorms. The ministers who spoke to farmers assured them of all possible help from the government.

Admitting a vast extent of crop damage, Niranjan Reddy said that a detailed report will be submitted to the Chief Minister. "We are here to inspect the crop damage on the directions of the Chief Minister. The unseasonal rains and hailstorms caused a huge damage to the standing crops. The government will support the farmers who lost their crops, especially chilli," he asserted.

The country needs a constructive policy on agriculture. Farmers were bearing the brunt of the Central Government's policies, Reddy said. The TRS Government has always supported the farmers, he said, referring to the Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, 24-hour free power supply, crop loan waiver, irrigation facilities etc ensured by the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Expressing his concern towards the plight of the farmers, Errabelli Dayakar Rao asserted that the Chief Minister will do justice to all of them. "Crop loss was immense in Parkal, Narsampet and Bhupalpally constituencies. Farmers lost their crops in over 50,000 acres in erstwhile Warangal district," Errabelli said.

At several places, farmers urged the ministers by bowing before them. The ministers also encountered opposition from the farmers. Demanding compensation, the farmers obstructed the ministers at Uppula Thanda in Narsampet constituency. They jostled with the police when they tried to obstruct the ministers. They criticised the government for ignoring their plight.

Warangal MP Pasunuri Dayakar, Mahabubabad MP Maloth Kavitha, Narsampet MLA Peddi Sudrashan Reddy, Parkal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy, Bhupalpally MLA Gandra Venkatramana Reddy and Warangal ZP chairperson Gandra Jyothi were among others present.