Farmers getting their due in TS: Errabelli Dayakar Rao

Jangaon: No other State in the country was paying Rs 10,000 per acre crop compensation to farmers who lost their standing crops due to untimely rains, Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao said. Speaking at the Atmeeya Sammelanam of the BRS cadres at Vadde Kothapally village under Vanagara mandal in Jangaon district on Sunday, he said that agriculture has become a festival due to the efforts of Telangana Government. "Normally, the governments pay Rs 3,000 per acre to the farmers whose crops were affected by the inclement weather. But the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who recently inspected crops affected by untimely rain and hailstorm had announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre. It shows KCR's concern towards the farmers," Errabelli said.

The previous governments in united Andhra Pradesh ignored the plight of farmers. Now, the government is extending a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per acre per year under the Rythu Bandhu scheme. This apart, Telangana is the only State in the country to offer Rs 5 lakh in compensation under Rythu Bima to the kin of farmers who die for any reason, Errabelli said.

On the other hand, land values in the State have gone up with the government ensuring irrigation facilities, Errabelli said, referring to the construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) which was constructed in a record time. "Before the formation of the new State, pump sets, starters and transformers used to get damaged due erratic power supply. Now Telangana is the first State in the country to provide uninterrupted free power supply to the farm sector," the minister said.

He said that KCR has been opposing tooth and nail the Centre which was pressurising the State to install meters to the agricultural pump sets. At an average, the government is bearing Rs 1 lakh per annum per for each agricultural pump set, he added.

The implementation of Mission Bhagiratha gave a huge relief to the women who used to walk miles together to fetch drinking water, Errabelli said. The minister who admitted that there are some areas that are yet to get drinking water under the scheme said that it will be rectified very soon. Earlier, the Minister's wife Usha Dayakar Rao read out the Chief Minister's message to the cadres.