Central team urged to ensure immediate relief to farmers
Special chief secretary, revenue and disaster management, R P Sisodia holding talks with the Central team which toured AP to assess drought loss, at the Secretariat on Thursday
- Revenue special CS Sisodia appeals to the team to release`151.77 cr to help farmers in drought-affected areas
- Informs the team that 54 mandals including 19 in Annamayya, 16 in Chittoor, 10 in Sri Sathy-asai, seven in Anantapur and two in Kurnool district have been declared as drought-affected
Vijayawada: Special chief secretary, revenue (lands and disaster management) R P Sisodia appealed to the Central team which visited the state to asses drought situation, release Rs 151.77 crore for immediate relief to farmers in drought-affected areas.
The special chief secretary met the Central team led by joint secretary, Central agricultural and farmers welfare department Perindevi at disaster management office here on Thursday.
The Central team includes deputy director, department of expenditure Supriya Malik, senior research officer, Niti Aayog Anuradha Batna, assistant commissioner of animal husbandry department Deepankar Seth, assistant director, agricultural land, farmers welfare department Pradeep Kumar, director Central Water Commission Mannuji Upadhyay, undersecretary, rural development Jayanti and director, oil seeds development, K Ponnusami. Director of agricul-ture Dilli Rao and disaster management MD R Kurmanath are also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Sisodia said that 54 mandals including 19 in Annamayya, 16 in Chittoor, 10 in Sri Sathyasai, seven in Anantapur and two mandals in Kurnool district were de-clared as drought-affected.
He said as a result of drought, crops including cotton, jowar, groundnut, maize in 1.06 lakh hectare were damaged resulting in loss to 1.44 lakh farmers.
Central team head Perindevi said that the team will submit its report to the Central govern-ment and see that the farmers who suffered loss will be helped. She said that the team inter-acted with farmers in drought affected areas and noted down the loss caused by the drought.
