Hyderabad, December 16: Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu today demanded that the central government declare the heavy rains and floods in Andhra Pradesh during the year as a national calamity.
Initiating the debate on ‘Problems faced by farmers due to recent floods and heavy rains’ under the Short Discussion in the Assembly, Naidu demanded `10,000 per acre as compensation to each paddy farmer and `5,000 each to those who had sold their crop.
Nine-hour power supply to farming sector, `200 bonus on paddy, removal of VAT on agricultural produce, free distribution of 50 kg rice to affected families, waiver of crop loans, implementation of a comprehensive crop insurance scheme by taking the survey number as a unit, release of compensation directly to tenant farmers, `1 lakh ex-gratia to the kin of those killed due to rains, crop loans under Pavala Vaddi scheme, linking the agriculture sector with that of NREGP (National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme) were among the other demands putforth by him. “The TDP, if needed, will include all these issues in the election manifesto,” he added.
Referring to his visits to the affected districts, the opposition leader warned that the people, particularly the farmers, would lose faith on the parliamentary democratic system if the government neglected them. There was a need to amend the procedures to enable the government to procure the damaged crop from the suffering farmers. “Justice will not be done to the victims if chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy does not pursue the issues sincerely,” he remarked.
As per the government figures, crop was damaged in about 10.75 lakh hectares (about 25 lakh acres) due to floods and heavy rains during the kharif season.
Both the state and central governments should come to the rescue of suffering farmers.
About `2,000 crore loss was reported in Guntur district alone, while heavy losses were also reported in districts like Nalgonda, East Godavari, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Nellore. He urged the government to take the issue seriously and protect farmers’ interests on humanitarian grounds.
Earlier in the day, Naidu along with left party leaders G Mallesh (CPI ), J Ranga Reddy (CPM) and others, participated in a big rally from the Goshamahal stadium to the State Assembly on farmers’ issues.
–Agencies