The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has demanded that the Congress government in Telangana announce a relief of ₹25,000 per acre to farmers whose crops have withered and were abandoned due to lack of water for irrigation despite efforts to protect crops by sinking new borewells as also those suffered crop loss due to untimely rain, hails and gales.

A delegation of the Opposition party comprising T. Harish Rao, Kadiyam Srihari, Satyavathi Rathod, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Peddi Sudarshan Reddy visited Chintabai Thanda in Devaruppala mandal of Palakurthi constituency in Jangaon district on Sunday to examine the withered crops. Several farmers of the village poured out their woes and discussed the loss suffered by them due to crop damage and with their futile efforts to save the crops by sinking of new borewells.

Several farmers explained to the BRS leaders that borewells had gone dry due to lack of water release to canals this season and their efforts to save crops with new borewells had also ended up in failure due to lack of groundwater. Farmers Shiva Shankar, Satyamma, Narsimha, Janku, Laxmi and Vijaya stated that they dug 6, 4, 3, 9, 6 and 4 borewells each, respectively during the last three months but failed to get water.

Speaking during the visit, Mr. Harish Rao said the plight of farmers was beyond description as the failure of the Congress governmetn in managing the available water had led to withering and loss of crops on about 20 lakh acres this season. The government had not made any efforts to give water available in river Godavari and had forced farmers to go for new borewells resulting in additional loss.

180 ryots ended lives

He alleged that the Congress government had failed to keep even one promise made to the farming community including Rythu Bharosa/Bandhu benefit of ₹15,000 per acre (₹12,000 assistance to farm workers) to farmers, tenant farmers, farm workers, ₹2 lakh each agricultural loan waiver, ₹500 per quintal bonus to paddy and even in disbursement of the Rythu Bandhu benefit to all farmers. As a result, the farming community was pushed into distress driving about 180 of them end lives since December 7 last year..

During the last 10 years BRS rule, the farming community had never faced such distressing conditions as the government had ensured timely availability of all inputs and timely help under Rythu Bandhu. The government functionaries, however, were not finding time to visit the farmers in distress to keep their morale up, Mr. Harish Rao said and suggested the government to open the gates for farmers instead of political gates.

He cautioned the government against delaying relief measures to the farming community in distress or else they would plan a ‘Chalo Secretariat’ with farmers.

Source - https://www.thehindu.com