All efforts will be made to recover the loss incurred in the kharif crop season in the rabi by going in for alternative and short duration crops, Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju has said. An advance plan will be chalked out for the rabi.
At a marathon review meeting of government programmes here on Tuesday, he said specific action should be taken on problems raised. For instance, MLC M.V.S. Sarma had mentioned the water problem in five villages near Kondakarla ava. Officials said water would be transported by tankers. When Mr. Sarma wanted to know the action taken on Tuesday, it was stated that a report would be obtained in two days on the situation. The Minister said NREGS works should be taken up without any hitch in villages. He expressed his dissatisfaction at a gynaecologist not being posted in the agency area.
He took for a review several departments including Education, Disabled Welfare, Forest, SETVIS, Irrigation, Panchayat Raj, Social and BC Welfare, Women and Child Welfare.
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District Collector J. Syamala Rao said 27 mandals had been declared drought-hit and further recommendations had been sent to the government based on crop loss and other parameters. Following declaration of drought, crop loans would be rescheduled, fresh loans given and input subsidy would be provided. A Rs.1 crore grant had been sought from the Panchayat Raj Department to take up repairs for defunct water schemes and the scheme at Hukumpeta would also be taken up, he told MLA Siveri Soma. At Bhimili water supply by tankers has been taken up with the Rs.28 lakhs sanctioned for the purpose. Two rotary bores would be sunk to further improve the situation.
Agriculture Joint Director G. Girijasankar said alternative plans had been drawn up to help farmers sow red gram, black gram, green gram, rajma, maize etc. He said for extending input subsidy enumeration was going on. A contingency plan has been readied for 21,000 ha. Against the normal area of 19,680 ha in the rabi, plans have been prepared for 18,300 ha. For kharif, of the Rs.400 crores renewals, Rs.335 crores was sanctioned and of the Rs.98 crores of fresh loans, Rs.52 crores given. The crop loans in drought-hit mandals would be rescheduled at 25 paise interest.
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MLA ‘Avanthi’ Srinivasa Rao wanted Anandapuram to be declared drought-hit. MLAs Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, P. Rameshbabu, V. Ramakrishnababu and B. Mutyala Papa, Police Commissioner N. Sambasiva Rao, SP Vinit Brijlal, ITDA Project Officer Anandmohan participated.