Epaper
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of farmers who committed suicide in the state in recent days even as he appealed to the distressed farmers not to resort to such extreme measures as his government was working for their betterment.
“Suicides by farmers are being reported from Ananthapuram district. In recent days, six farmers committed suicide. We will pay Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to each family. The government will fully stand by their families,” the Chief Minister said replying to a debate on farmers’ debt redemption scheme and drought in the Legislative Assembly today.
Mocking at the lone opposition YSR Congress party’s claim that 86 farmers committed suicide after the TDP returned to power, the Chief Minister said the former could not provide any evidence or record.
“Farmers need not be disheartened. My government is taking all steps for their betterment and I will not rest till making agriculture profitable,” Chandrababu added.
The Chief Minister said 52 per cent of farmers across the country were caught in debts while the figure stood at 92.9 per cent in AP because of the distress caused by the vagaries of Nature. Factors like drought, crop loss due to natural calamities were some of the reasons that pushed farmers into misery and led to suicides.
He listed out various steps initiated by his government, including the agriculture mission, to pull the sector out of the red and said irrigation projects were being taken up on a priority basis while inter-linking of rivers was also being planned to make Andhra Pradesh drought-free in the next five years.
The Chief Minister said 70 tmc ft of water from river Godavari, which was flowing waste into the Bay of Bengal, would be diverted to the Krishna basin so that water from Srisailam reservoir could be released to the parched Rayalaseema region.
“This year we have taken 12 tmc ft of water to Rayalaseema from the Handri-Neeva project. We will complete other irrigation projects like Galeru-Nagari on a priority basis so that Rayalaseema gets adequate water for irrigation and drinking needs,” he added.
The Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project would be completed in four years and would ensure not a single cusec of water flowed waste into the sea.
“Some parties are carrying out a false propaganda that Godavari river water is being diverted to the Krishna basin, depriving the two Godavari districts of water for irrigation.
I am assuring people that only surplus water will be taken from Godavari and not the assured component. I will not let any injustice happen to the Godavari districts,” he asserted, lashing out at the YSR Congress.
Chandrababu also reiterated that his government was committed to implementing the debt redemption scheme and all “genuine and eligible” farmers would get the benefit up to Rs 1.5 lakh each.
The Assembly, which met for five days and passed five Bills, including the one creating the AP Capital Region Development Authority, was then adjourned sine die.
