Prevent natural calamity losses

Hyderabad, Oct 30,
2012: YSRCP today demanded the state Government to take stringent measures
ahead of natural calamities to reduce crop, property and financial losses to farmers,
agricultural workers and others involved in caste-based traditional
occupations.

Addressing a media
conference at the party headquarters here in the wake of the Nilam Cyclone threat
to the state, Party farmers’ wing convener MVS Nagi Reddy said farmers and those
involved in caste-based occupations are facing the brunt of natural calamities always
due to lack of preventive measures.

“The officials or
leaders are not visiting the field to take loss-reducing measures at times of
natural calamities and it has become a practice for the Government to make
post-calamity announcements in newspapers and leave matters there,” he
remarked.

Nagi Reddy said the
National Disaster Relief Organization headed by Marri Sasidhar Reddy has not rendered
any help to the state till now on the issue. “Even now, the officials of the National
Disaster Relief Organization or the state government should visit the field to
take loss reducing and preventive measures.

Nagi
Reddy demands relief to cotton famers

Nagi Reddy said that
nature was kind enough to the farmers during the YSR regime but after his
death, nature has been continuously furious towards farmers in the state.
“However, the farmers, who spent a lot on their cotton crops, are being
affected now again this year,” he lamented saying that the cotton growers have
been suffering a loss of productivity though the cotton crop area has been
growing.

He said over an area of
22.69 lakh hectares cotton has been grown this year in the state but the cotton
growers have been suffering a loss of Rs.30,000 per hectare due to increase in
the input costs. While the cost of irrigation for quintal is around Rs.5000,
they are being forced to suffer a loss of Rs. 1500 per quintal due to the
market rate of Rs.3500 per quintal resulting in a total loss of Rs.6800 Cr in
their investments on cotton crop.

Nagi Reddy said the
cotton farmers have been suffering heavy losses over the last three years due
to hefty increase in input costs. While the Government has been increasing all
input costs like diesel and fertilizers, it has failed to increase the support
price proportionately, he observed.

The government should
take immediate measures to help the cotton farmers financially, he demanded.

 Decries
Naidu’s Padayatra

Criticizing TDP chief
Chandrababu Naidu’s Vastunna Meekosam Padayatra, Nagi Reddy said Naidu has
conspired with the Congress Government to defame YSRCP President Y. S. Jagan
Mohan Reddy.

He said Sharmila has
been undertaking her Maro Praja Prasthanam to create confidence among the
people and assure that all welfare schemes of YSR would be implemented by YSRCP
when it comes to power under the leadership of
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.