TDP demands compensation to farmers for crop damage

Warangal: The leaders of Telugu Desam Party district unit have demanded the State Government to announce a comprehensive compensation package for the farmers affected due to unseasonal rains in the district. A delegation of the TDP has met the in-charge district collector P S Pradyumna and submitted a memorandum seeking quick assessment of the damage of crops and an early release of suitable compensation to the farmers. The delegation comprised Telangana Telugu Desam Forum convener and Palakurthy MLA Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Public Accounts committee chairman and Narsampet MLA Revuri Prakash Reddy, MLAs, Satyavathi Rathod, Seetakka, party district president A Baswa Reddy, senior leader Kadiam Srihari and others. Later speaking to the press persons, Dayakar Rao said about 50, 000 acres standing crops were lost in the district, huge number of cattle died, large numbers of houses were damaged due to the recent hail storms. Crops like paddy, maize, watermelon, mirchi, mango orchards and others were damaged across the district. But the officials were yet to commence the loss assessment. The assessment of the loss has to be done by revenue and agriculture officials instead of Adarsha Rythus, the TDP leaders demanded. They alleged that the Adarsha Rythus, who were nothing but Congress workers and leaders were only trying to benefit the their party men while leaving aside real farmers who lost their crops and those who lost their property. Dayakar Rao demanded a compensation of Rs 20, 000 and Rs 10, 000 to paddy and maize crops respectively and Rs 30, 000 to mango per acre must be given. The current compensation of Rs 4000 given to the farmers would not suffice. The farmers who lost the cotton crop due to cyclones earlier have taken up other crops like paddy and maize now they also those crops. Besides this, they have spent thousands of rupees on hiring and procuring diesel sets to lift water from the wells and feed the crops in view of rampant power cuts, Prakash Reddy explained.