AP govt asks Central team for Rs 319.77 cr drought relief

Special Chief Secretary for the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), Ajay Jain, has appealed to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, the Prime Minister Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) CEO, and the Farmer’s Welfare Joint Secretary Ritesh Chowhan-led Central team to provide substantial support for drought-affected farmers.
Jain specifically requested the release of Rs.319.77 crore in financial assistance for the Rabi drought-hit mandals in the state. He also urged the central team to approve an additional 50 days of employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGA).
The central team, led by Ritesh Chowhan and comprising Dr Ponnu Swamy, Sunil Dubey, Chinmay Pundlikarao Gotkar, Ashish Pandey, Aravind Kumar Sony, Mannuji Upadhyan, SC Kashyap, Madal Mohan Mourya, and Anuradha Batna, visited the drought-affected mandals in the districts of Nellore, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapuram, Sri Satya Sai, and Prakasham over four days. The Central Government has declared approximately 63 mandals as severely drought-affected and 24 mandals as moderately drought-affected.
Following their visits, the committee met with APSDMA Special Chief Secretary Ajay Jain and Director Ronanki Kurmanath at the APSDMA headquarters in Mangalagiri. During the meeting, Jain provided a detailed account of the current drought conditions in these districts and reiterated his request for Rs.319.77 crore in financial aid.
Ritesh Chowhan assured that his team would promptly report the actual drought conditions in Andhra Pradesh to the central government. He mentioned that they would submit a detailed crop loss report and recommend support for the affected farmers. The team had also received a comprehensive crop loss report from state officials.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Department Commissioner C. Harikiran, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Commissioner Dr C. Sridhar, Animal Husbandry Director Dr R. Amarendra Kumar, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Joint Commissioner Shiva Prasad, and other dignitaries.