Harish Rao Demands Input Subsidy For Crop Loss

BRS MLA and former minister Harish Rao today demanded that the State government provide input subsidy to farmers who had lost their crops, particularly those affected by the recent hailstorms.

He said that crops on over 10,000 acres were damaged in Siddipet district alone. Crops on 1,350 acres had been destroyed due to hailstorms last summer too, and the State government had not provided any compensation so far for even that, he claimed.

Rao inspected the crop fields damaged by recent untimely rains in the Rajgopalpet village of Nangunur mandal in the Siddipet constituency, and interacted with the affected farmers.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, he said that farmers were in severe distress due to the hailstorms.

He also mentioned the case of Ragula Balayya and his wife Balamma, who owned a three-acre farm and had taken loans amounting to over Rs 2 lakh. The couple expressed their anguish that the loan had not been waived yet.

Reacting to their plight, Rao criticised the government, saying it was disappointing that the promised loan waiver had not been implemented and the Rythu Bandhu scheme had not been delivered as promised.

"This government made grand promises in the Assembly. They said that if the Congress came to power, they would introduce crop insurance, provide Rs 15,000 per acre under Rythu Bandhu, and waive Rs 2 lakh of crop loans. However, the Rythu Bandhu scheme was completely ignored during the monsoon season. Even during the Yasangi season, only half of the farmers received the benefit, and even that was partial," he said.

"During KCR's tenure, every farmer received Rythu Bandhu assistance without fail. This government is making cuts and has effectively suspended the scheme under various pretexts. They claim to have disbursed Rs 14,000 crore under the loan waiver while sidelining Rythu Bandhu. Even during the difficult days of the COVID-19 pandemic, KCR did not stop Rythu Bandhu. But now, not a single rupee has been allocated for crop insurance in the budget," Rao said.