Chandrababu Naidu Vows To Develop AP As Model State
Naidu urged farmers to instead take support and guidance from the government to raise crops that suit the nature of soil and climatic conditions. “Have resort to the latest technology and also identify global market requirements to enable them get a better price for your produce,” he exhorted them.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has vowed to develop Andhra Pradesh as a model state by ensuring water for all – for drinking, cultivation of crops and to meet industrial needs.
The CM addressed farmers as part of the ‘Ruthanna-Meekosam’ programme at Nallajerla in East Godavari district on Wednesday.
He fervently appealed to farmers to change their practice of raising crops by using heavy doses of fertilisers and pesticides and without keeping in mind the impending inclement climatic conditions. This would cause harm to them and society in the long run. In future, there would be no demand for such produce.
Naidu urged farmers to instead take support and guidance from the government to raise crops that suit the nature of soil and climatic conditions. “Have resort to the latest technology and also identify global market requirements to enable them get a better price for your produce,” he exhorted them.
The Chief Minister urged them to avoid mass cultivation practices and excessive resort to cultivation of crops like paddy as they would not fetch them a good price. He quoted instances of how the Rayalaseema region is becoming a hub for horticulture crops and also how Araku Coffee from Visakha agency was getting global attention.
He said, “I am hiring agricultural consultants so that I can guide you in advance on farming practices, nature of crops and on usage of new technology. We are coming up with an action plan farmer-wise, Rythu Seva Kendra-wise, district-wise and at the state level. A compressive action plan will be generated to help the farmers get all requisite help to raise crops and get a good price for what they produce.”
Urging the farmers to act as practical scientists, he called upon universities handling agriculture and horticulture and allied subjects to ensure their scientists reach out to the farm lands, interact with farmers and take up research based on ground reality. This, he said, would help them come up with better solutions.
Naidu advised these entities to discard the conventional practices of doing research without being mindful of the ground reality.
The Chief Minister wanted farmers to know about the changing food habits among the people, and raise crops accordingly. He said, “I myself don’t eat rice,” and mentioned how people are falling victim to various diseases after consuming food with chemical content. Crops, he noted, are raised by using high doses of fertilisers and pesticides.”
Naidu quoted an instance from Punjab where two train-loads of people were going to Delhi for cancer treatment and other diseases every day. AP farmers should prefer natural farming, he said, and advised them to avoid any gambling with farming.
The CM stressed the need for interlinking of the Godavari-Krishna-Penna rivers so that farmers would be given adequate quantum of water for cultivation of crops. He expressed concern as to how nearly 6,000 tmc-ft to 7,000 tmc-ft of water from Godavari and 1,500 tmc-ft of water from Krishna drained into the sea a year.
He also laid emphasis on increasing ground water tables as the levels were very deep in East Godavari, Eluru and Prakasam districts. If the groundwater tables could be raised by filling up tanks and other water bodies, it would help fight drought.”
The Chief Minister promised to ensure justice to the farmers by helping them get minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. He announced that there would not be any upward revision of power tariff and that the state would promote solar energy.
Naidu promised to provide Aan I assistant to advise people about what to eat. The state would also extend the number of services in WhatsApp governance.
In AP, he said, there existed 8,451 Rythu Seva Kendras and 49 lakh farmers. Likely, by 2047, AP would become the number-one economy in India.
He explained how the present government fulfilled the alliance’s poll promises by implementing several welfare schemes in the last 18 months despite inheriting empty coffers and huge amount of debt during transition of power after the elections.
