Rescue rain-hit farmers: Congress

​Wyra (Khammam): The unexpected spell of rain that wreaked havoc on standing crops and harvested maize, paddy and other farm produce kept in market yards across erstwhile Khammam district is a huge blow for the farmers, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Nagabandi Rambabu said.

Speaking to media persons at Wyra Agriculture Market Yard on Friday, he squarely blamed the State government for its failure to provide proper infrastructure at market yards and Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) procurement centres.

“Due to lack of proper infrastructure at market yards, thousands of bags of maize and other crops soaked in rain causing a huge damage to farmers who are already struggling to get minimum support price to their produce,” Rambabu said, criticising the government for its lack of preparedness.  

He said that with the government not making proper arrangements for the procurement of stocks, farmers have to wait days together in the market yards. This has also resulted in piling up of stocks in the market yards and procurement centres. There is also shortage of bags, he added.

Stating that situation is similar in all market yards across the erstwhile Khammam district, Rambabu demanded the government to procure all the stocks including the soaked grains from the farmers by ensuring remunerative price. 

The onus is on government to enumerate the crop loss immediately to ensure compensation to the aggrieved farmers, he added. Rambabu threatened to launch agitation if the government fails to rescue the farmers. Earlier, the Congress leaders enquired with the farmers about the crop loss they suffered. 

DCC spokesperson Puvvada Durgaprasad, Seva Dal Khammam district chairman Md. Javeed, ST Cell district chairman Ramulu Naik and Wyra mandal Congress president P Mohan Rao were among others present.