05-01-2017

Water for Anantapur from Handri Neeva:

CM

ANANTAPUR:ChiefMinisterNaraChandrababuNaidusaidonWednedaythatthegovernmentplannedtofillall
1,260tanksinAnantapurdistrictwithwaterfromtheHandriNeevaSujalaSravanthi(HNSS)project.
Speaking at a public meeting marking the progress of the Janmabhoomi Maa Vooru programme at the
BukkapatnammandalheadquartersvillageinAnantapurdistrict,heappealedtopeopletocooperateinmakinghis
dreamoffillingupthetanksinthedistrictandchangingthecourseofthedistrictfrombeingadroughtproneone
toaprosperousone.
IhavejustseentheBukkapatnamtank.Itisfilled[with]KarraTumma(Telugunamefortheweed Prosopis
Juliflora).PalleRaghunathaReddytoldmethatitwouldcostaboutRs.3.5croretogetwatertothistankfromthe

HNSScanalpassingcloseby.Iwillgiveyouasmuchasrequired;enablethetanktohold0.7or0.8tmcofwaterto
servetheBukkapatnam,KothacheruvuandPuttaparthymandalsbyit,saidMr.Naidu.
Ringroad
HewouldsanctionaringroadconnectingtheBukkapatnamandKothacheruvumandalheadquartersvillageswith
PuttaparthyviathePuttaparthiairport.
Iwascriticisedbypeople,inexperiencedpeople,foracceptingthespecialpackage(inplaceofspecialstatus).It
takesbutaminutetofight.Wewouldhaveendedupjustfightinganddeveloping.Mypoliticalacumeninaccepting
thespecialpackagehastodaymeantthatthePolavaramprojectfuturelifelinefortheStatewasgivennational
projectstatusandfundswerealsoreleased,saidMr.Naidu,evenasheurgedthepeopletoreelectthecurrent
governmentwhichwasworkingfortheirwelfare.
ANANTAPUR:ChiefMinisterNaraChandrababuNaidusaidonWednedaythatthegovernmentplannedtofillall
1,260tanksinAnantapurdistrictwithwaterfromtheHandriNeevaSujalaSravanthi(HNSS)project.
Speaking at a public meeting marking the progress of the Janmabhoomi Maa Vooru programme at the
BukkapatnammandalheadquartersvillageinAnantapurdistrict,heappealedtopeopletocooperateinmakinghis
dreamoffillingupthetanksinthedistrictandchangingthecourseofthedistrictfrombeingadroughtproneone
toaprosperousone.
IhavejustseentheBukkapatnamtank.Itisfilled[with]KarraTumma(Telugunamefortheweed Prosopis
Juliflora).PalleRaghunathaReddytoldmethatitwouldcostaboutRs.3.5croretogetwatertothistankfromthe
HNSScanalpassingcloseby.Iwillgiveyouasmuchasrequired;enablethetanktohold0.7or0.8tmcofwaterto
servetheBukkapatnam,KothacheruvuandPuttaparthymandalsbyit,saidMr.Naidu.
Ringroad
HewouldsanctionaringroadconnectingtheBukkapatnamandKothacheruvumandalheadquartersvillageswith
PuttaparthyviathePuttaparthiairport.
Iwascriticisedbypeople,inexperiencedpeople,foracceptingthespecialpackage(inplaceofspecialstatus).It
takesbutaminutetofight.Wewouldhaveendedupjustfightinganddeveloping.Mypoliticalacumeninaccepting
thespecialpackagehastodaymeantthatthePolavaramprojectfuturelifelinefortheStatewasgivennational
projectstatusandfundswerealsoreleased,saidMr.Naidu,evenasheurgedthepeopletoreelectthecurrent
governmentwhichwasworkingfortheirwelfare.

Agricultureactionforcesoon:Minister
MinisterforAgricultureV.S.SunilKumarhassaidthatthedeclineinagriculturecombinedwithclimatechangeis
edgingtheStatetowardsacrisis.
Opening Urvaram 2017, a threeday districtlevel farmers meet at Koottalida here on Monday, he said an
agricultureactionforcewouldbeformedin500panchayatswithaStatelevelnodalofficertomonitorthem.
Keralarequired40lakhtonnesofriceayear,buttheStateproducesonly5.5lakhtonnes.Theproductionoffruits,
vegetablesandlentilstooislow,hesaid.

Mr.SunilKumarblamedthosewhofilledpaddyfieldsandwetlandsfortheirselfishneeds.Thearroganceofthe
peopleinKeralathattheycouldbuyanythingiftheyhadmoneywasthereasonfortheMalayalisocietyturninginto
anunhealthyonesofast,hesaid.
TheMinistersaidtheStategovernmentwasmakingadatabankofbarrenlandsineachpanchayattopromote
farming.Agriculturehastobecomeaprofitableenterprise.Thegovernmentisdoingwhateverispossibletoensure
bestpricesforthefarmers,hesaid.

Coconutprocessingunit
TheMinistersaidtheStategovernmentwasplanningtosetupacoconutprocessingunitinKozhikodedistrictvery
soonwithactiveparticipationoffarmerscooperativesocieties.
HeurgedtheofficialsofthedepartmenttoworktowardsmakingtheHarithaKeralamprojectasuccess
PurushanKadalundi,MLA,presidedoverthemeetingwhileTransportMinisterA.K.Saseendrangaveawaythe
pricestoofficialswhoperformedwellinthepreviousyear.DistrictpanchayatpresidentBabuParasseriopeneda
seminar.

Notebanhitspaddycultivation

Despite abundant, water farmers couldnt take

plantation of nurseries in Karimnagar district

up

Therewasabundantrainfallandallirrigationprojectsincludingmajor,mediumandminorwerefilledtothebrim.
Besides,thegroundwatertablewasalsorechargedconsiderably.Yet,thefarmerswereunabletotakeupcultivation
thisrabiandthereasoncitedwasthecashcrunchfollowingdemonetisation.
Thefarmersofthedistrict,whowerereelingunderacutedroughtconditionsforthelastfewyears,heavedasighof
reliefwiththearrivalofgoodmonsooninthekhariffseason.Theyhadgoodyieldforcropssuchasmaize,cotton
andpaddyandsecuredmoneyfromtraderswhichwascreditedintotheirbankaccounts.
However,withthedemonetisationtherewasacashcrunchinvariousbanksintheruralareasandthefarmerswere
unabletowithdrawcashduetothenormsstipulatedbythegovernment.Despitealongwaitatthebanktheycould
managetogetcashrangingfromRs2,000toRs4,000perday.
Thefarmerswhoexpectedabumperharvestfollowinggoodmonsoon,sowedpaddynurseriesforcultivating.But,
duetoshortageofcash,theywereunabletotakeupplantationofpaddynurseriesastheywerenotinapositionto
paywagestothelabourers.
AccordingtostatisticsavailablewiththeAgricultureDepartment,paddywascultivatedonlyin8,902hectares
againstnormalareaofcultivationin54,827hectaresinbifurcatedKarimnagardistrict.
AfarmerPrabhakarRaofromVemulawadamandalsaidthatthemoneyearnedbysellingthekhariffcropwas
depositedinthebanksandtheywereunabletowithdrawaspertherequirementtotakeuprabiseasonfollowingthe
restrictions and cash crunch. The cultivation of paddy had come down drastically in all villages in spite of
availabilityofwatersourcesandninehoursoffreepower.Thetradersarenotgivingthefertilizeroncredit,he
complained.

Plan to convert mandis into emarkets

cleared

InabidtomodernisetradeandbusinessintheCapital,theAamAadmiParty(AAP)governmentonTuesday
decidedtofacilitatetheconversionofexistingmandisintoemandis.
AproposalhasalsobeenapprovedtoconstructanemandiatTikriKhampurinwestDelhiatacostof 800crore
withintwoandahalfyears.

Reviewmeeting
Development MinisterGopal Rai announcedthestepsfollowingareview meetingwiththeDelhiAgricultural
MarketingBoard(DAMB).
Thebudgetpassedbytheboardfor201718stoodat371.18crorefortheestimatedincomewhiletheexpenditure
proposedwas434.19crore.
Ourmainobjectiveistousherinmoretransparencyandaccountabilityinthisbusiness.Wealsowanttoensurethat
farmersgetfairvaluefortheirgoods,theMinistersaid.Takingnoteofdemonetisationblues,Mr.Raiaddedsaid
thattheDelhigovernment hadinstalled38POSmachinesin mandis toreducehardshipsfacedbytradersand
customers.
Theconversionofthemandis,theMinistersaid,wasbeingdoneincollaborationwiththeNAMGroup.

Newmarket

Thenewmandi,thegovernmentsaid,willbedevelopedoveranareaof70acresandwillbeequippedwithmodern
facilities.
AspecialconsultantwillalsoberopedintofacilitatetheconversionoftheAzadpurmanditorelievecongestion.
ChangesarealsointheoffingfortheGhazipurmandiwhereafourstoreybuildingwithmodernfacilitiesisbeing
constructed.
TheflowermarketatGhazipurwillalsobemodernised.Thebudgetallocatedforthismakeoveris140crore,saida
seniorgovernmentofficial.Themarketwillfeature432shopswithcoldstoragefacilities

Morerevamps
A threestorey building will be constructed at the poultry market in Ghazipur at a cost of 120 crore. The
Mongolpurifoddermarketissettobereplacedbyasabzimandisoon,addedtheofficial.
TheAzadpurcementwarehouseareawillalsoseesomechangeswiththereconstructionofthreeshedsandan
upgradeoftheexistingdrainagesystematacostof20crore.

Villagelevelassessmentofdrought
MADURAI:Thedistrictadministrationhasinitiatedavillagelevelstudytoassesstheimpactoffailureincropsdue
toinadequaterainfall.
CollectorK.VeeraRaghavaRaosaidteamscomprisingVillageAdministrativeOfficers,AgricultureOfficersand
revenuestaffhadbeenformedtoconductthestudy.
Initially,wewillshortlistasampleofaround10percentofthevillages,whichwillbestudiedtogetabroaderidea
oftheimpact.Later,thestudywillbeexpandedtoallthevillages,hesaid.
OfficialssaidsincetheStateGovernmenthaddecidedtosendcommitteestoeverydistricttostudythedrought
situation,thispriorassessmentbythedistrictwouldhelpinprojectingtheimpactproperlytothegovernment.

Morethan15crRythuBandhuloansgiven
Loans advanced to farmers with zero interest payment for
180 days to prevent distress sale of crop
HYDERABAD:TheStateGovernmenthasgivenloanstothetuneof 15croreto1,024farmersunderRythu
BandhuschemeuptoDecemberthisfinancialyear.
IrrigationMinisterT.HarishRaowhorepliedtoaqueryintheLegislativeCouncilonbehalfoftheAgriculture
MinisteronWednesdaysaidthequantumofloanstofarmersundertheschemewasontherisesincetheformation
ofTelanganaState.Thiswasevidentfromthefactthat10.24crorehadbeengivento857farmersin201415and
11croreto954farmersduringtheyear201516.
TheGovernmenthasenhancedtheloanamountto2lakhagainst1lakhaspartofRythuBandhu.Amaximum
amountof 2lakhor75percentofthepledgedstockwhicheverwaslesswasbeingsanctionedasloanwithout

mortgageofland.Theloanswerebeingsanctionedwithoutinterestfor180daystopreventfarmersfromresorting
todistresssale.
Preventdistresssale
Themeasurewasinitiatedasfarmerswereresortingtodistresssalewhenthepriceswerelow.Middlemenwere
hithertosellinggrainathigherpricesafterobtainingitatalowerpricefromfarmers.Wehavetakenstepsinthe
formofgrantofloanswithoutinterestforsixmonthstopreventdistresssalebyfarmers,hesaid.
CongressmemberPonguletiSudhakarReddylamentedthatsowinginrabihadcomedownsignificantlybecauseof
demonetisation.announcedbytheCentre.TheGovernmentshouldcometotherescueoffarmersbyextending
interestfreeloansandthiswouldalsoenabletheGovernmentachievethetargetssetforrabicultivationduringthe
currentyearwhichwitnessedgoodrainfall.
TRSmemberPallaRajeshwarReddyurgedtheGovernmenttolaunchacampaignaboutrythubandhuschemeas
manyfarmerswerestillnotavailingthefacilityprovidedbytheGovernment.Mr.HarishRaosaidtheGovernment
hadtakenupconstructionofgodownswastakenupforstoringagriculturalproducesothatfarmerscouldavailthe
benefitsundertheRythuBandhuscheme.