Telangana deprives farmers of PMFBY benefits: BJP

Hyderabad: The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday accused the State government of depriving the farmers in the State of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bhima Yojana (PMFBY) benefits.

Addressing the media here on Sunday, BJP Kisan Morcha State president K Sridhar Reddy said that the State government has failed to clear the insurance premium dues to the tune of Rs 477 crore. In turn, the farmers have failed to get the benefits on account of crop losses and damage, he added.

He said that the State government had willfully tried to let down farmers at a time when other States were implementing the PMFBY to provide insurance protection to farmers from crop loss and damage on account of nature's vagaries. He said that the State government claimed farmers-friendly and pro-agriculture. But, about 5,569 farmers have committed suicide in the past six-and-a-half years. Of these, 4,200 were tenant farmers, and 624 farmers have ended their lives in the district represented by none other than Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

"It seems that the State government is of the opinion that the Rythu Bandhu Scheme takes care of all problems faced by the farmers in the State," he mocked.

In the wake of Comptroller and Auditor General finding fault with the State government regarding the irrigation projects, the BJP leaders asked the State government to do some introspection. They also urged the State government to prepare the government machinery to open paddy procurement centres, as the harvesting season is all set to begin. They further demanded the State government to add an additional bonus of Rs 500 to Rs 1,888 of minimum support price announced by the Centre for paddy.