BRS team meets CS, submits memo on farmers’ woes

A delegation of senior BRS leaders met Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari at the Secretariat on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum on farmers’ issues. The BRS team demanded compensation for farmers who lost their crops and a bonus of Rs 500 along with the MSP for every quintal.
In the letter dated April 2, the BRS urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take urgent steps to help farmers.
The BRS said that immediate action should be taken to address these issues and added that the government must provide compensation to affected farmers at the rate of Rs 25,000 per acre and also fulfil its promise to pay Rs 500 as bonus for every quintal for the Yasangi crop.
“Urgent measures are needed to solve farmers’ financial problems, including immediate waiver of farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, full implementation of the Rythu Bharosa scheme, ensuring assistance to all farmers, including tenant farmers and farmhands,” the letter said.
The BRS said that it has persistently urged the government to address the issues facing farmers in Telangana.
“Our President, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and our MLAs, MPs, MLCs and other public representatives, have extensively toured the state. Our findings indicate the grave challenges faced by farmers, caused by the government’s inefficient water management, failure to provide irrigation and the absence of quality education for farmers,” the letter stated.
The letter said that water allocation through canals has been deficient, leaving crops dry.
“The unreliable electricity supply has rendered boreholes dysfunctional, leading to crop failure and farmer suicides. The government’s lacklustre response has resulted in widespread crop damage, with an estimated 20 lakh acres of paddy fields adversely affected,” the BRS said in the letter.
The BRS said that to facilitate agricultural operations, village-wise grain purchase centres should be established and efforts should be made to procure all produce brought in by farmers.
“Steps must be taken to mitigate the impending yield reduction in the Yasangi crop by providing adequate water,” it said.
The BRS urged the government to prioritize the welfare of   farmers by swiftly implementing these measures.