Andhra Pradesh   

Rs. 70,000-crore package sought for A.P. farmers

Special Correspondent

YSR hopeful of Volkswagen project coming through

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh on Thursday sought a Rs. 70,000-crore special package from the Centre to deal with the agrarian crisis in the State with a major portion being reserved for ongoing irrigation projects.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said the package was on the lines of what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sanctioned for farmers of Vidharbha in Maharashtra. "Of 31 districts where the problem is acute, 16 fall in Andhra Pradesh. We have asked the Centre a package and the attempt is to get the maximum,'' Dr. Reddy told mediapersons after holding a meeting with the Prime Minister.

He met Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Officials of the State Government would interact with their counterparts in the Centre to finalise details in next four-five days, he said.Dr. Reddy said a large number of farmers had committed suicide due to poor economic conditions and unprecedented drought over the past 15 years. As many as 4,261 farmers had ended their lives in the last three years which was a matter of concern to the Government. He urged the Centre to locate the proposed National Centre for Good Governance in Hyderabad and said 200 acres of land had been identified for the facility. The Chief Minister requested the Centre to announce a suitable package of incentives for FAB units.

The State Government asked the Centre to enhance allocation of Rs. 8,000 crore per year under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)/Bharat Nirman in next five years.

The Chief Minister received German Ambassador to India Berna Muetzel Burg and discussed, among other things, the Volkswagen project.

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