Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on April 25 (Tuesday) wrote a letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy, urging him to take the necessary steps to pay compensation to the farmers who have suffered losses due to untimely rains in the State.
Mr. Naidu wanted the government to pay ex gratia to the family members of a farmer who died in lightning strike.
Mr. Naidu, in his letter, said that a series of natural disasters had hit the farmers hard. Untimely rains in north coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema in March resulted in a loss of agriculture and horticulture crops in about 2 lakh acres. Even before the farmers could recoup the losses, the State witnessed another spell of rain at a time when the crops were ready for harvest.
Paddy crops in Krishna and Guntur districts and the Godavari Delta were damaged. Thousands of tonnes of paddy that were put in the fields for drying were damaged. Chilli crops were damaged in Prakasam, Palnadu, and Guntur districts. Gales and thunderstorms took a toll on standing crops, Mr. Naidu pointed out.
The farmers who cultivated maize, banana and mango suffered losses. Seven died in lightning strikes in the State. The government should pay ex gratia to the brereaved families, he added.
