KCR Demands Rs 25,000 Compensation Per Acre to Farmers

Demanding the Congress government to provide Rs 25,000 compensation per acre to farmers in drought like situation hit places in the state, the former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday asked the farmers not to extreme steps stating that more than 200 farmers died by suicides due to financial issues. After a long time, the BRS party supremo and former chief minister initiated his regular activities in meeting farmers highlighting the Congress government's failures in providing irrigation and drinking water in rural areas where hundreds of acres of farmland were getting dry due to water scarcity. The former chief minister visited Nalgonda, Suryapet and Jangaon district on Sunday by interacting with farmers.

Later, Chandrasekhar Rao told media persons in Suryapet alleging that when BRS was in power, they installed power of 7600 megawatts to 18,000 megawatts. At least 1600 megawatts from Ramagundam, 4,000 megawatts from Yadadri thermal station, we have provided additional power of 5600 MW. The other day, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself came and dedicated NTPC 1600 MW to the nation. The Prime Minister started after our government was gone. Now that supply has come in addition. 85 percent of 1600 megawatts have been added. What NTPC is doing is that it gives 85 percent to whichever state it is in. 15 percent is taken for national needs. 

According to that, the excellent electricity will come in addition to 1500 megawatts of electricity," former chief minister said.

However, the Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao found fault with the former chief minister for making wasteful expenditure of government funds when BRS was in power. The BRS government left the state government with a debt of Rs 50,000 crores by giving bank guarantees indiscriminately in the purchase of grain, have you done the purchase properly. In the name of free electricity, buying electricity at a high price and having the opportunity to buy it at a low price, is it not true that the burden of thousands of crores of



electricity has been put on the farmers of the state and benefits have been given to the companies you want? The Minister asked.

"Who is responsible for the failure of the Medigadda Barrage? Are you not the one who robbed the companies of thousands of crores for pumps and motors, collected commissions and financially bankrupt this state government" Tummala Nageswara Rao asked. Speaking to media persons, Chandrasekhar Rao said in Suryapet that he has not spoken on the Congress government's policies and implementation. He reminded that when there was crop damage in many districts like Mahabubabad, Khammam due to heavy rains, the former chief minister said he personally went and verified the rain hit places. He said that on that day nearly Rs 500 crores were provided to the farmers.

"The crop was damaged due to irrigation water shortage in 16 lakh acres in the state. The Congress party made false statements before the elections and after they came to power, the Congress government failed to provide facilities to the agriculture sector neglecting farmers," Chandrasekhar Rao alleged. In Jangaon district, Chandrasekhar Rao inspected the dried fields and interacted with the farmers. One of the farmer couple Narasimha Naik and Sattemma informed Chandrasekhar Rao that by investing Rs.4 lakhs which was saved for their son’s marriage, they dug four bore wells to protect their fields but were deeply disappointed with non-availability of water and facing a huge loss. 

Reacting to them, the former chief minister immediately announced Rs.5 lakh of financial help for the Sattemma son’s marriage and asked them to be courageous and not lose hopes since the BRS party is there to help the farmers. Meanwhile, the officials detained the vehicle in which the former chief minister was travelling and checked the vehicle in view of Model Code of Conduct. The BRS cadre welcomed the former chief minister in three districts as it was his first visit as opposition leader.