Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday announced compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers who lost their crops due to recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
After a visit to affected areas in a few districts, the chief minister assured the farmers that the government will extend them all the assistance. He made it clear that the state will not send any report on crop loss to the Centre as the Modi government had provided no help to the state in similar situations earlier.
The chief minister told media persons that the unexpected rains and hailstorms damaged crops over 2,28,255 acres across the state. This includes maize crop over 1,29,446 acres, paddy over 72,709 acres and mangoes over 8,865 acres.
KCR, who left in a helicopter from Hyderabad, first visited affected areas in Madhira constituency of Khammam district. He spoke to farmers and enquired about the crop losses they suffered.
Some of the affected farmers demand a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre. KCR said that his government is executing irrigation projects with massive investment. Efforts are being made to expeditiously complete new projects.
Stating that the state government is also implementing various schemes for the welfare of farmers, he claimed that such schemes are not being implemented anywhere in the world.
The chief minister also stated that as a result of the schemes being implemented by the state government, the agriculture sector has strengthened and farmers are coming out of debt trap.
He remarked that some ignorant economists are saying that agriculture is uneconomical. KCR also pointed out that Telangana's per capita income is higher than that of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and other states.
He claimed that Telangana has established itself as an agriculture-based state. The chief minister said under the policies of the present government at the Centre, affected farmers will get no compensation.
"The policies are of no use to the farmers. The country needs a new agriculture policy," said KCR, who is president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).