YSRTP leader YS Sharmila brought a truckload of damaged crops to Hyderabad, the state capital, saying she intended to wake up Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao from his deep slumber in order to extend compensation to farmers badly affected by unseasonal rains.
Meanwhile, the chief minister held a meeting with state Finance Minister T Harish Rao, chief secretary and other officials and MLAs on the procurement of paddy of Yasangi or Rabi season.
Even as the government began procurement of the Rabi crop unseasonal rains have caused havoc damaging the crops in the districts. Sharmila visited the Khammam and Mahabubabad districts where the paddy farmers suffered huge losses. She claimed that there has been crop damage on about ten lakh acres.
“Today YSRTP is sending this truckload of damaged crops to KCR so that at least during the election year he will wake up from deep sleep and extend appropriate compensation to farmers. The crop loss suffered by farmers due to unseasonal rains is about ten lakh acres but not a single official or MLA visited the farmers to assess their losses,” said Sharmila.
She also took a dig at the state government saying the administration was too busy with the inauguration of the grand-looking secretariat to take notice of the damage to crops. However, the truck parked at the YSRTP office in Banjara Hills was prevented by the police from rolling out towards Pragathi Bhavan or the Secretariat.
Sharmila also demanded a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for damaged crops calling Rs 10,000 per acre announced by the state government in April too low.
It may be mentioned that Telangana has withdrawn from the Central crop insurance policy but unlike other states is yet to evolve its own insurance policy leaving the farmers at the mercy of the state government’s announcement. Last month, the chief minister had embarked on district tours to assess the damage himself and announced Rs 10,000 per acre as compensation.