A team of ministers and officials have examined the crops, especially chilli, damaged in the recent untimely rain and hailstorm in the erstwhile Warangal district on Tuesday and assured the farming community that the government would come to their rescue. The extent of damage would be enumerated by the Agriculture officials.

Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy and Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development E. Dayakar Rao, chairman of the Rythu Bandhu Samithi (RBS) P. Rajeshwar Reddy, Secretary (Agriculture) M. Raghunandan Rao along with Member of Parliament from Mahabubabad M. Kavitha, Member of Parliament from Warangal P. Dayakar, legislators Ch. Dharma Reddy, P. Sudarshan Reddy, P. Srinivas Reddy and others went round the the fields where chilli crop was damaged in the recent hailstorm and rain in Nagaram and Mallakkapeta villages of Parakal mandal.

Speaking after the field visit, the ministers admitted that there was crop damage due to the recent hailstorm and chilli was badly damaged with entire fruit/chilli falling to the ground just before the harvesting. The local elected representatives explained to the ministers that the damage was high in Narsampet, Parakal, Manthani and Bhupalapally constituencies.

Farmers were in tears while explaining the damage showing the wilted chilli plants without having any fruit/chilli. The ministers assured them that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was very much concerned about their loss and the government would come to their rescue after receiving a report on the extent of crop damage and loss following a field-level visit by the officials of the Agriculture department to enumerate the damage and loss.

They stated that every farmer who suffered loss due to hailstorm and untimely rains in the area would get justice. They said the government was providing free uninterrupted power for farming, extending investment support under Rythu Bandhu and assuring assistance under Rythu Bima in the event of death of a landholding farmer irrespective of the reason.

The ministers told the farmers that the investment support given under Rythu Bandhu had crossed ₹50,000 crore in crop seasons since its launch in the 2018-19 kharif season. They assured that they would take the extent of damage as examined by them to the Chief Minister’s notice even before the submission a report by the Agriculture department.

Source - https://www.thehindu.com