Kakinada: The All-India Kisan Sabha has asked the Government to provide seed, fertilizer free of cost besides Rs. 2,000 towards initial expenses, also as a grant, to farmers affected by the recent Godavari floods enabling them to raise fresh crops.

It also wanted the compensation enhanced to Rs. 5,000 to fully damaged houses and Rs. 2,500 in the case of partially damaged ones in flood-ravaged areas.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, Kolli Nageswera Rao, vice- president of the Kisan Sabha, said despite the cyclone, East Godavari district had received 5 per cent less than normal rainfall.

That farming operations were affected was evident from the fact that only 1.8 lakh hectares was covered by paddy as against the total area of 1.93 lakh hectares.

When the entire kharif is taken into consideration, he said, only 75 per cent of area was brought under cultivation. Mr. Nageswara Rao said Rythu Sangham representatives after touring both drought-affected and flood-ravaged districts had called on Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy the other day and impressed upon him the need for implementation of special relief package to farmers, including waiver of loans.

National meet

In order to press the demand further, he said, an agitational programme was chalked as part of which ryots would submit memoranda to Collectors, RDOs and MROs on September 1 and stage dharnas in front of Collectorates on September 14.

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