CM KCR announces ‘Geeta Karmikula Bima’, assures farmers of total procurement
CM KCR announced a special scheme ‘Geeta Karmikula Bhima' extending an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to toddy tappers
Updated On - 2 May 2023, 10:12 PM
Hyderabad: Reiterating his government’s commitment to the welfare of different sections of the society, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday announced a special scheme, the Geeta Karmikula Bima, extending an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh to toddy tappers on the lines of the existing Rythu Bima scheme for farmers. In a separate announcement, he also assured farmers hit by unseasonal rains that the State government would procure the entire crop, including paddy stocks exposed to rainwater at the same price.
Conducting separate review meetings, the Chief Minister first held a review with officials and elected representatives on issues related to the toddy tapping community in his chambers at the Secretariat. Announcing the insurance scheme for the community, the Chief Minister directed Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud and Finance Minister T Harish Rao to work out modalities to implement the scheme.
Many families are losing their bread winners as tappers falling accidentally from palm trees in the process of tapping toddy were losing their lives. The State government has the responsibility to reach out to such families. In such cases, the monetary assistance extended under the insurance cover should be remitted into their bank accounts directly without delay, he said.
The Government has so far been paying ex gratia in case of fatal accidents involving toddy tappers, but the process involved delays. The government had devised the novel Rythu Bima scheme for farmers and it was being implemented successfully benefitting thousands of farmer families in the State. The toddy tappers should also benefit in the same manner, he added.
In another meeting on paddy procurement and measures to be taken to tackle the damage caused by unseasonal rains, the Chief Minister shared the concern being voiced across the State by farmers who were staring at huge losses because of the untimely rains. Assuring the farmers that the State government would purchase the paddy stocks exposed to rainwater, he said even the wet paddy would be procured till the last grain, offering the same price as in the case of the regular paddy.
Dispelling fears of the farmers, he said they would not be let down at any cost. The State government remained committed to support agriculture by addressing their hardships as a responsibility.
The Chief Minister, discussing the ongoing paddy procurement and the plan of action to be implemented to avoid losses in the wake of rain ravage, wanted Agriculture officials to plan in advance to ensure early completion of paddy harvest, preferably in March next year, to avoid crop losses caused by calamities in summer.
The Chief Minister said the programmes being implemented by the State government for development of agriculture and welfare of farmers were paying rich dividends today holding out hope for the entire country. Telangana farmers had made huge strides in agriculture and were reaping bumper paddy harvest year after year. The government would support them by procuring fully the produce at their doorsteps, he said.
Emphasizing the need for sensitizing paddy growers with advertisements, posters and pamphlets on the need for early sowing of the Yasangi crop so as to avoid losses owing to calamities such as hailstorms that are usual in April and May, he asked officials to help raise awareness levels among farmers on the need for adopting crop patterns suited to changing climatic conditions.
Chandrashekhar Rao, who directed Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao to ensure regular monitoring of the conditions on the ground to guide farmers in direct direction, also asked Agriculture officials to make their presence on the field making use of Rythu Vedika forums set up by the government. Any sort of laxity in discharging duties would be dealt with sternly, he warned.
Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari was asked to make surprise visits to keep the official machinery alert and duty bound. The government had already extended Rs.10,000 per acre compensating affected farmers, he added.