Kakinada: Minister for Animal Husbandry Gollapalli Surya Rao on Saturday sought to allay the apprehensions of people on paddy cultivation as second crop making it clear that Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy wanted only a change in the crop pattern for better conservation of ground water in the interests of ryots.

Replying to the queries of TDP Rajya Sabha member Vanga Geeta at the DRC meeting here, he said it was not intention of the Government to subject ryots to hardships but only to help them in proper utilisation of groundwater for a better future. "It is wrong to say that the Government has banned cultivation of paddy as the second crop and discontinued free power to those fail to comply," he remarked.

Vundavilli Aruna Kumar, MP Rajahmundry, argued with Ms. Geeta alleging that the TDP was trying to politicise the issue.

Earlier, during the discussion on the losses sustained during the recent cyclone, Collector Anil Kumar Singhal said that 3.75-lakh acres of standing crop was damaged and the loss was estimated at Rs. 32 crores.

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