Shivraj Singh Chouhan Visits Flood-Affected Areas in Telangana, Engages with Residents and Farmers

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan is on a two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Shri Chouhan visited today first Kesarpalli of Gannavaram Assembly Constituency in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh and interacted with farmers. The Minister conducted an aerial survey of crop damage of flood affected areas in Meenavalu, Peddagopavaram, Mannur, Kattleru of Telangana and an aerial survey of Khammam and Munneru flood affected areas. The Union Minister met the people in Khammam and discussed their problems. Shri Chouhan said that we are working to provide immediate help. No one needs to be disappointed, we will work together and the Central Government will take the people out of this crisis. The Central Government is standing with the State Government and we will take the farmers out of every crisis.

The Union Minister said that he discussed with the farmers in Khammam district of Telangana about their losses. During this, a farmer was telling about the loss of his crops in the floods, then Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called him and hugged him, wiped his tears and encouraged him. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent me to understand your pain, you have lost your crops, but he will not let you lose your life. He further said, I am from a farmer family, I can feel the pain of my farmer brother, but this pain, these tears will not remain, we will provide appropriate compensation. The farmer told the Union Minister that you have done a lot for the farmers in Madhya Pradesh, now take care of us. After which Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that first of all we will assess the crop damage and soon we will provide appropriate compensation. We will ask the banks not to recover loans from farmers in times of crisis. We will not let be a shortage of fertilizers and seeds for the next crop. He said that the crisis is unprecedented, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is sensitive, we will work together with the state government to normalise the lives of the farmers.

Shri Chouhan said that today he visited the farms of the farmers and enquired about their losses. The entire crops of the farmers – banana, turmeric and vegetables have been destroyed. Farmers in this area do horticulture on a large scale and there are also farmers who do farming on lease, on farming on lease the farmers have to give a large part of the crop or money. They have invested their money and the crop has been completely destroyed, but we have come to tell the farmers that on the instructions of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of the state is working with sensitivity. Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh listed four priorities and said – first – to help the farmers initially, second – to make arrangements so that they get the benefit of crop insurance scheme, third – to make arrangements for farmers who work by taking land on lease and fourth – how farmers can take the next crop, these issues are before us, but solutions will be found on these issues under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is very sensitive about the flood situation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and the Chief Minister of the state Shri Chandrababu Naidu is also concerned. Shri Chouhan said that I have seen tears in the eyes of Chandrababu Naidu. He said that there has been loss, but the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu is working with full competence and sensitivity and the Central Government will provide full support to them. Presently work is being done to provide immediate assistance from SDRF worth Rs 3,448 crore which is already with State which also includes the Centre’s share. After providing immediate assistance, the government will think about how farmers will get fertilizers and seeds for the next crop. Efforts are continuously being made to solve the problems of farmers.