DC seeks Rs17.16-cr Central aid

NTR District Collector Dr S Dilli Rao has sought financial aid of Rs.17.16 crore from the Central government to meet the drought situation due to the shortfall of rain in the district. Of this, Rs.2.66 crore is for the Agriculture Department, Rs.80 lakh for drinking water, and Rs.13.70 crore is needed for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Agency (NREGA), he said.
The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) led by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Joint Secretary Pankaj Yadav, Department of Oilseeds Director Dr Ponnusamy, Department of Expenditure Deputy Director Mahesh Kumar and Department of Rural Development Under Secretary Kailash Sankhla visited the district on Thursday. They viewed the photo exhibition on crop damage organised at a hotel in Vijayawada.
Later, they conducted a meeting with Collector Dilli Rao, Joint Collector Dr P Sampath Kumar, and Agriculture Officer S Naga Manemma. During the meetinz, the Collector explained the crops loss due to the drought conditions. He submitted a detailed report to the Central team seeking financial aid and asked them to examine the chances of providing 100 days of work for the NREGA labourers.
The State government has announced Tiruvuru, and Gampalagudem Mandals as drought-hit. Most of the crops depend upon rain. The district had registered a shortage in rainfall, he added.
During the Kharif season, farmers cultivated 1,564.91 hectares of paddy, and around 2,611 farmers lost their crops, he said. Also, he explained that the District Agriculture Department registered every crop detail in e-crop to ensure crop insurance during calamities, he said.
IMCT head Pankaj Yadav said that he would submit a detailed report to the Central government regarding the NTR district’s drought situations. Also, they would visit the fields affected by the cyclone, he said.