Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy advised the Opposition parties against making a political issue out of the crop loss due to the unseasonal rains in Telangana over the last a couple of days. He said the State government will extend complete support to farmers who lost their crops due to the recent unseasonal rains.
In a statement, Niranjan Reddy said the State government has been alerting people over the unseasonal rains at least four days in advance and within 24 hours after hail storm and rains have wrecked havoc in Vikarabad district, he had personally visited the farm lands and examined the crops. The officials have been instructed to prepare crop loss estimations and submit a report to the State government on a war footing basis.
As per directions from Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the local elected representatives are touring the respective constituencies and extending support to farmers who suffered crop loss due to unseasonal rains. “The Opposition parties are most welcome to bring issues to our notice. But making allegations and staging protests to politicise the crop loss due to a natural calamity, is not advisable. People are well aware of the political protests by the Opposition parties who lack sincerity in their commitment towards farmers,” the Minister said.
Niranjan Reddy asserted that farmers and agriculture remain the highest priority to Telangana government. He said when the Centre refused to purchase boiled rice from Telangana, none of the Opposition leaders have come out in support of farmers. He stated that due to initiatives like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and adequate irrigation water and power supply, farmers in Telangana are earning far better than the Congress and the BJP ruled States.