The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Anantapur News : Collector promises crop insurance in a week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 12, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Collector promises crop insurance in a week

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, JULY 11. The district Collector, Y.V. Anuradha, said that the disbursement of crop insurance for the crop loss suffered during the 2003 kharif season would commence in a week. She also said that the bankers would be urged to disburse the amount in cash to the farmers without adjusting the amount to their dues.

Replying to queries at the general body meeting of the Zilla Parishad here today she said as most of the farmers had repaid last year's crop loans and taken fresh loans, book adjustment problems might not arise.

The Collector stated that as per police records 1,274 farmers had committed suicide between July 1, 1998 and May 14, 2004. After screening, it was found that 474 of them had ended lives due to farm-related reasons.

Detailed inquiry was completed in case of 159 cases so far and about 130 bereaved families among them would get the ex gratia of Rs. one lakh each in a few days. The administration was also looking out for instances wherein the suicides were not registered officially.

Regarding the suicides that had taken place after May 14 this year the Collector said of the 46 farmers who ended lives, inquiry was completed in 44 cases. Of them, 18 bereaved families have already been given Rs. one lakh and some of them were paid Rs. 50,000 for settling their debts as one time settlement. Counselling was also offered to the 1,474 farmers who had approached the administration through helpline, the Collector said.

The meeting witnessed heated exchanges between the Congress and TDP members over the issue of relief measures to farmers. The TDP members also criticised the State Government for selecting Agni Aviation for conducting the cloud-seeding operations this year. The Congress had alleged that the agency lacked sufficient infrastructure, when the TDP Government handed over the task to it last year, they pointed out. They sought to know the rationale behind selecting such an agency this year.

They also criticised the absence of the two ministers -- J.C. Diwakar Reddy and N. Raghuveera Reddy, who did not attend the meeting though they were present in the district.

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