Centre Sets 4 Key Priorities For Flood Relief In Andhra

New Delhi: In order to offer relief to farmers hit by floods in Andhra Pradesh, the Central government is working on four priority areas, official sources told Bizz Buzz. The Central government has taken this decision after Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid a two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Chouhan first visited Kesarpalli of Gannavaram Assembly Constituency in Vijayawada and interacted with farmers, an official press release said. He conducted an aerial survey of crop damage of flood affected areas in Meenavalu, Peddagopavaram, Mannur, and Kattleru of Telangana and an aerial survey of Khammam and Munneru flood-affected areas. The Union Minister met the people in Khammam and discussed their problems. The government has identified four priority areas, the sources said. The first is immediate help. The second is crop insurance. The third is support to the farmers who work on leased land. The fourth is focused on the next crop, but that will be done under the leadership of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

Chouhan is very upset with the previous Andhra government. Talking to his officials, Chouhan said that it is because of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s mistakes that led to the Budameru breach. The breach, Chouhan said, was caused by illegal mining. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government did not implement the Centre’s policies, Chouhan said, adding that even the premium of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was not deposited, thus depriving farmers of insurance cover.

The Budameru breach has already become a major political issue in Andhra Pradesh. Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Development (PR&RD) and Environment & Forests K Pawan Kalyan recently said that the Budameru rivulet shrunk by 90 per cent due to a large number of illegal constructions.