CPM demands Rs 25,000 input subsidy to farmers

PNS|Ongole

CPI (M) state secretary V Srinivasa Rao demanded the government to announce Rs 25,000 input subsidy to the Mandous cyclone affected farmers.

The CPI state secretary along with other leaders visited some of the rain affected agriculture fields at Uppugunduru and Chadalavada villages in Naguluppalapadu mandal on Wednesday.

He saw the damaged crops and water stagnation at the fields. The CPM leader interacted with the farmers and knew their problems and loss to the crops.

Later talking to the media in Ongole, he said that cotton, chilli and tobacco crops suffered huge damage in the district. The crops are still in water and the crops are getting withered, he deplored.

He demanded the government to announce Rs 25000 input subsidy per acre. The farmers had invested Rs 50,000 to raise tobacco and chilli crops and Rs 25,000 to raise groundnut crop. He asked the government to supply groundnut seeds at subsidized prices to the farmers.

He felt that the scrapping of the old insurance system caused farmers to incur losses. The Centre is implementing the crop insurance scheme under which the farmers would be paid compensation after a long time which would be no way useful to the farmer.

CPM state secretary Srinivasa Rao demanded the government to revive the old crop insurance system as it would benefit the farmers. The government has not given a single rupee to the farmers from the calamity fund, he slammed. The Centre did not assure of sending a central team to assess crop loss pay compensation, he lamented.

The CPM leader warned of launching an agitation if the government failed to do justice to the farmers. CPM district secretary Sayyad Hanif, state committee member P Anjaneyulu and other leaders were present.