The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP members grill Raghuveera

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Friday, Jul 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP members grill Raghuveera

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 22. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members grilled the Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, in the Assembly on Thursday for making "inconsistent statements" on the extent of subsidy on the micro-irrigation project. They charged the Minister with "deceiving" the farmers by going back on his promise of extending 90 per cent subsidy for all crops covered by the micro-irrigation project as mentioned in the Congress manifesto and now confining it to only bio-diesel plantations in rain shadow areas.

Loud protest

After a loud protest by TDP members, some of whom moved into the aisle, the Minister, who was replying to a question tabled by D. Uma Maheswara Rao (TDP), denied the charge and said he had made it clear that the Government intended to "restructure" the previous Government's policy on the micro-irrigation project.

As part of it, it has decided to extend 90 per cent subsidy to bio-diesel plantations under the project, in rain shadow areas as the crop consumed 70 per cent less water compared with horticulture crops, involved less costs and fetched good returns to the farmer as the fuel has great demand.

Subsidy

Similarly, the Government would provide 66 per cent subsidy for other crops in Anantapur district and 50 per cent subsidy in other parts of the State, subject to a monetary ceiling of Rs. 50,000 per family, he said.

The bio-diesel plantations would be raised in over two lakh acres during this year and 15 lakh acres in five years.

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