Kurnool: APRS, CITU leaders demand relief to rain-hit farmers

Kurnool: Leaders of Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam (APRS), All India Kisan Sangh (AIKS) and the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) have demanded the government to help the farmers by compensating the crop damage.

The farmers along with the leaders of APRS and CITU staged a protest in front of Mandal Tahsildar offices across the district on Monday in this regard. Addressing the gathering, Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam leader Veeresh and CITU leader Ramudu said the farmers across the district have incurred huge losses due to incessant rains.

Almost all crops, cotton, groundnut, Bengal gram, chilli and others were totally damaged by the rains. The farmers have invested huge amounts, borrowed from money lenders, to raise the crops.

When the crops are at harvesting stage, the incessant rains have totally damaged the crops, said the leaders. Several farmers, with kith and kin, have migrated to faraway places to earn income so that they can repay the borrowed debts. The leaders demanded the government to pay Rs 30,000 per acre to every farmer, who lost crop in floods.

The leaders also urged the government to withdraw the idea to fix meters to farm motors. Some farmers while opposing the government's initiative to fix motors have committed suicide, they pointed out. The government should pay Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia to the kin of every deceased family member.

The leaders also demanded the government to provide fresh loans to farmers to start faming and waive the older ones. To drive out the drought from the district, the leaders appealed to government to complete Vedavathy and Nagaradona reservoirs and fill 106 ponds with the waters of Hundri Neeva.