63rd Republic Day Celebrated

The 63rd Republic Day was celebrated with patriotic fervour across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

The official celebration was held at Secunderabad Parade Grounds, where Governor E S L Narasimhan took the salute of the ceremonial parade.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar, Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi and other dignatories participated in the event.

In his ceremonial speech, the Governor listed out the achievements and plans of the state government. However, his speech focused on farmers. He said that the current year has been marked by the vagaries of the monsoon, with deficient rainfall and resultant drought conditions across most of the state, leading to the declaration of 876 mandals as drought-affected.

"My government is alive to the travails of the farmers, and the adversities being faced by the farm sector. I pay my tribute to the indomitable will as well as the resilience of our farming community, which had to cope with agricultural operations under unfavourable seasonal conditions," he said.

Narasimhan said that the government has already taken measures to offer relief to the farm sector.

He spoke about the Rythu Chaitanya Yatras and Rythu Sadassulu conducted by the government.

The governor also mentioned the Revenue Sadassulu being held across the state to settle problems being faced by people in land ownership or title deeds.

He said that the Revenue Sadassulu would be an annual affair, and would be conducted in a comprehensive manner.

The Governor claimed that the the government has supplied 17.09 lakh quintals of quality seeds on a 50% subsidy to small and marginal farmers, amounting to Rs. 231 crore.

He said that the government was also committed to ensure adequate and timely credit support to farmers. During 2011-12, agricultural loans totalling nearly Rs. 37,000 crore have been disbursed, he said.

He also spoke about the new scheme that provides interest-free crop loans worth upto Rs. 1 lakh to farmers upon prompt repayment of the Rabi 2011 laons. This measure is expected to benefit nearly 95 lakh farmers, he said.

Regarding Jalayagnam, the Governor said that of 86 major and medium irrigation projects envisaged to be completed by creating an irrigation potential of nearly 10 million acres, as many as 49 have been prioritised for early completion.

In his 20-page speech, the Governor listed out various schemes being taken up by the state government for the welfare of various sections in the state.

The parade was led by Group Captain S Antony of College of Air Warfare. As many as 20 contingents, including the students of National Institute of Mentally Handicapped, participated in the parade. (INN)