Farmers' Compensation Done in Transparent Way After Thorough Social Audit: AP CM

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday disbursed the compensation of Rs 22 crore into the accounts of 34,586 farmers who suffered crop loss due to the Gulab Cyclone in September this year.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that the government has been providing compensation to farmers affected by natural disasters within the same season, where Rs 1070 crore has been disbursed into accounts of 13.96 lakh farmers against the crop loss of 18 lakh acres. He asserted that the welfare of the farmer is of importance to the welfare of the State, especially to the rural economy, as over 62 percent of the population in the State are relying on the agriculture sector.

The Chief Minister said that the government initiated this novel program to stand by the farmers by paying compensation in the same season for the damaged crops, which is being done in a transparent way, after a thorough social audit. He said that in the last two and half years, Rs 18,777 crore was credited under YSR Rythu Bharosa, Rs 1674 crore under Sunna Vaddi Panta Runalu, Rs 3788 crore was given through YSR Bima, under nine-hour free power supply Rs 18,000 crore and Rs 1520 crore was spent towards power subsidy for aqua farmers.

He slammed the previous TDP government for keeping pending arrears of Rs 960 crore towards paddy procurement, Rs 9000 crore for power bills, Rs 384 crore for seed procurement and stated that the YSRCP government had paid for all those arrears. He said that a natural disaster fund of Rs 2,000 crore and a price stabilization fund of Rs 3,000 crore were set up to ensure that farmers do not get in trouble and further initiated agricultural advisory committees at the RBK level, Mandal level, district level, and state level to assist the farmer community.

Deputy Chief Minister Dharmana Krishnadas, Agriculture Minister Kursala Kannababu, Agri Mission Vice-Chairman MVS Nagireddy, Government Adviser (Agriculture) Ambati Krishnareddy, Agriculture Special CS Poonam Malakondaiah, Revenue Principal Secretary V Usharani, Agriculture Commissioner H Arun Kumar, and other officials were present.