CPM demands `20,000 compensation per acre crop loss

Khammam: Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) district Secretary Nunna Nageswar Rao here on Thursday demanded that the government sanction Rs 20,000 input subsidy per acre to the farmers who suffered crop loss due to incessant rains in the district. Speaking to the media at Sundharyya Bhavan here, Nageswar Rao said recent heavy rains had damaged crops.  Farmers had suffered huge loss. 

Nearly one lakh acres of cotton crop, 5,000 acres of corn, 6,000 acres of chilli and about 50,000 acres of paddy crop was damaged due to recent heavy rains across the district. Farmers had invested huge money, expecting returns. But their hopes were dashed by heavy rains, he said.

The government must issue orders to the officials concerned to conduct a survey for estimating the crop loss. He urged the government to provide Rs 20,000 subsidy per acre in rain-hit areas.

Several roads in the Khammam city were badly damaged due to rains, but the government did not take any measures to repair them due to which many accidents were taking place, he alleged.

The government is not in a mood to solve the problems of Village Secretaries who are on strike for the last 31 days. Instead of taking steps to prevent the spread of seasonal diseases, the government started Kanti Velugu programme due to which many health officials including medical staff were asked to organise the eye camps.

The CPI-M leader alleged that Khammam Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Kumar Jha was transferred under the political pressure. He demanded that Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageswara Rao, MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and MLA Puvvada Ajay Kumar explain the reasons for the transfer of the Commissioner.

The Commissioner had put in place system to ensure that there is no scope for irregularities. CPI-M party Ponnam Venkateswar Rao and District Committee members Yerra Srikanth were present at the programme.