HYDERABAD: The Centre has announced a special package of Rs. 15,000 crore to stop suicides by farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Friday informed his Cabinet colleagues that the package was aimed at farmers' welfare and initiating measures to mitigate their sufferings. He disclosed that the Centre had sent a detailed communication to the State listing out the developmental and welfare activities to be taken up to prevent suicides.

Action plan

Some of the issues to be covered under the special package included an action plan to reschedule farm loans and moratorium on the outstanding dues, provision of input subsidy and development of animal husbandry, horticulture and poultry sector, and, above all, giving the pride of place to agriculture.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who announced a massive package to bail out distressed farmers in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, could not give a special package for Andhra Pradesh since the model code of conduct is in force for the Panchayat Raj elections.

The Cabinet decided to name the Vedic university proposed to be established by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthana as Sri Venkateswara Veda Vishwavidyalaya. The meeting also approved the establishment budget for the three new universities — Adi Nannaiah (Rs. 1.10 crore), Telangana (Rs. 1.12 crore) and Yogi Vemana University (Rs. 85 lakh).

It also cleared the modified scheme for erection of 400/220 kV sub stations at Dichpalli and Gajwel and 220 kV sub station at Kamareddy to strengthen the transmission system at a cost of Rs. 300 crore. The AP Transco was also availing itself of a Rs. 453-crore loan from the Rural Electrification Corporation to set up 132/33 kV sub-stations.

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