Siddipet farmers dispute Revanth Reddy’s claim on damaged crop compensation

Farmers in Siddipet have disputed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s claim that compensation was paid for crop losses, stating no input subsidy has reached them despite repeated damage caused by rains and hailstorms during 2025

Siddipet: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s public claim that compensation was paid to farmers for rain-induced crop losses has triggered outrage in Siddipet, with farmers asserting that not a single rupee of input subsidy has reached them despite repeated losses.

Heavy rains, accompanied by gales and hailstorms, battered crops multiple times across the district in 2025, pushing farmers into deep distress. The absence of any financial relief has only intensified their anger. Now, the claim made by the Chief Minister himself has added insult to injury.

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While inaugurating an oil palm factory in Narmetta, the Chief Minister had stated that the government had paid compensation to farmers affected by rains, a claim that has drawn strong reaction from the farming community.

In fact, the Agriculture Department submitted proposals seeking release of Rs 16.88 crore as input subsidy, but the sanction of funds has not yet happened.

The district witnessed repeated spells of heavy rainfall during March, April and May, during which officials conducted crop loss assessments on five occasions. Officially, crops on over 11,000 acres were reported damaged. However, farmers alleged that the figures were revised multiple times before being sent to the State government, reducing the extent of damage recorded.

Farmers were again hit during the later part of the year, with untimely rains and hailstorms in August and October affecting nearly 20,000 farmers during the Yasangi and Vanakalam seasons.

Several farmers suffered crop losses more than once and were pushed into a debt trap. Despite this, no input subsidy has been released so far, even though officials had completed the required procedures and submitted proposals.

Against this backdrop, the Chief Minister’s claim at the Narmetta public meeting on compensation being paid to farmers has drawn strong reactions.

Srikanth, a farmer from Kondapur in Mirudoddi mandal, said they had incurred losses multiple times during the year but had received no support from the government. “We have not received input subsidy, Rythu Bharosa or loan waiver benefits. Even getting a bag of urea has been a struggle,” he said, urging the government to release the pending subsidy without further delay.