Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has instructed officials to prepare comprehensive reports on the losses incurred by farmers including tenants and submit them to the government within a week.
The Chief Minister, who conducted an aerial survey in rain-battered Guntur and Prakasam districts on Monday, said the government would extend best possible relief to the affected families. Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy conducted a whirlwind tour of the two districts, reaching out to the affected families to get first hand information on the situation on account of the natural calamity.
Reviewing the situation with senior officials at Bapatla, he said the government had released input subsidy amounting to Rs. 1,662 crore, including Rs. 17 crore to Guntur, which were affected by Phailin and other natural calamities.
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There was, however, delay in the payment of the amount to the affected families on account of the strike by the employees. Recalling that the government had enhanced compensation from Rs. 4,500 a hectare to Rs. 10,000, he directed the officials concerned to ensure that the amount was credited into farmers’ accounts within a week.
Steps had also been initiated to ensure that families in villages where there was water-logging for more than five days were given 20 kg rice each in addition to ensuring the supply of kerosene. Compensation for purchase of utensils and clothes had also been enhanced to Rs. 2,500 from the existing Rs. 1,500.
Financial assistance will be provided by the government to the affected families to build pucca houses in line with the guidelines under Indira Awas Yojana wherein SC/ST beneficiaries would be given Rs. 1 lakh each while those from other communities would be paid Rs. 70,000 each. The government would pay an additional Rs. 15,000 each to handloom weavers whose houses suffered damages while it was committed to provide relief to all the affected families.
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Reviewing the situation in Parchur of Prakasam district, the Chief Minister cautioned the officials to ensure that the enumeration process was completed carefully. This, he said, was necessary in view of the earlier instances where genuine beneficiaries were denied compensation and assistance was given to others.
Officials and elected representatives submitted separate reports on the estimated losses suffered by the people and Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy promised that the State and Central governments would share the compensation of 50 per cent each for farmers who lost their Bengal Gram crop.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that initial estimates put the crop loss in the district at over Rs. 130 crore.
Mr. Reddy assured farmers that the government would provide the Nellore variety of paddy at subsidised prices enabling farmers to go in for fresh crop in the rabi season.