CM asks centre for additional financial support, mounts efforts to ensure that relief packages reach farmers at the earliest.
Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday issued necessary instructions to officials for the finalization of the memorandum to be submitted to the government of India, for obtaining maximum assistance for the damages incurred due to the recent heavy rains in the state.
The chief minister has also issued special instructions for the preparation of another memorandum for obtaining a special package of financial assistance for the state, keeping in view the series of natural calamities due to the 'Jal' cyclone and repeated heavy rains during the current year.
He asked the chief secretary to ensure that both the memoranda be submitted to the government of India on Monday.
In order to address the grievances relating to the sale of produce, inputs for Rabi, rescheduling of crop loans, and other farm-related issues, KKR told the officials that the Farmers Grievance Redressal Cells be established by the district collectors in all the affected districts, at the district and division levels, involving revenue, agriculture and civil supplies officials, along with a helpline.
He has asked the administration to mount the efforts to ensure that the relief package announced by the state government on 16 December reaches the farmers at the earliest.
The chief minister reviewed the status of providing relief with revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy, minister for animal husbandry Viswaroop, chief secretary S V Prasad, special chief secretary to chief minister J Satyanarayana, and other senior officials concerned, at the camp office.
It was decided in the meeting that the ministers in-charge, and ministers belonging to the affected districts would camp in the districts and tour them intensively. The district collectors have been directed to establish control rooms in the affected districts to coordinate the field operations. It was decided that the chief minister would tour the affected districts at the earliest.
The CM has asked the ministers to review, monitor and inspect the implementation of the relief operations. The package of relief operations includes disbursement of input subsidies (arrears and relief on account of December rains); progress of disbursement of insurance compensation; progress of procurement of discoloured or damaged paddy, rice, cotton and payment of prescribed rates; availability and disbursement of seeds for Rabi (paddy, pulses); progress of rescheduling of crop loans (Kharif), including implementation of the interest waiver that was already announced; progress of disbursement of crop loans for Rabi; status of the recording of names of tenant farmers in the revenue records/enumeration lists; and functioning of procurement centres of FCI, Civil Supplies, IKP and CCI.
The meeting also decided that district collectors should conduct daily tele-conferences with field officers and submit progress reports to the ministers in the district and to the government every day. KKR said that clear deadlines/targets should be set for completing each item of the relief package.
The chief minister will review the progress in extending relief to the farmers every day.
Principal secretary (revenue) C Punetha, principal secretary (AM and co-op) K R Kishore, principal secretary (finance) L V Subrahmanyam, agriculture commissioner Sunil Sharma, disaster management commissioner T Radha, State Warehousing Corporation MD S Balasubrahmanyam, horticulture director G Jayalakshmi, and other senior officials were also present.
Courtesy: INN