Govt Committed to Making ‘Farmer Is King’ a Reality: Ponguleti
He said crop loans amounting to Rs 20,670 crore had been waived within four months of the government assuming office, benefiting around 20 lakh farmers across the state.
Nalgonda:Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Friday said the state government’s pro-farmer initiatives were aimed at ensuring a dignified and respectful life for cultivators.
Inaugurating two godowns of the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), each with a storage capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes, at Chegomma village in Kusumanchi mandal of Khammam district, he said the Congress government had fulfilled all its pre-poll promises to farmers. The government, he noted, was implementing welfare schemes with a clear goal of turning the slogan “farmer is the king” into a reality.
He said crop loans amounting to Rs 20,670 crore had been waived within four months of the government assuming office, benefiting around 20 lakh farmers across the state. Under the investment support scheme, Rythu Bharosa, financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per annum per acre was being credited directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
The minister further said a bonus of `500 per quintal was being provided for fine variety paddy in addition to the minimum support price. Instead of exporting fine variety paddy to other states, the government was supplying fine rice, procured through millers, to ration card holders — a move he described as a milestone in food security. He assured that every grain of paddy would be procured and payments would be credited to farmers’ accounts within a week.
Emphasising the need for adequate storage infrastructure, he said the government was encouraging PACS to construct more godowns. He added that 3.8 lakh new pattadar passbooks with Bhu Bharathi survey maps had been issued in the last two-and-a-half years, which would help prevent land disputes, particularly in rural areas.
Stating that welfare schemes were reaching every household, he said the second phase of Indiramma Houses would be launched soon. In subsequent phases, all eligible poor families would be covered, with a target of making Telangana a hut-less State within three years.
Earlier, the minister distributed CMRF cheques worth Rs 50.5 lakh to 191 beneficiaries. District collector Anudeep Durishetti and Khammam Police Commissioner Sunil Dutt were present.
