The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State to hold awareness yatras for ryots

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Monday, Oct 23, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State to hold awareness yatras for ryots

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The State Government will organise farmers' awareness yatras in villages from October 23 to November 5 to promote crop diversification in rabi.

Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy in a press release said that officials of agriculture, power and revenue would hold gram sabhas in villages as part of the yatras to explain the need to go for alternative crops to paddy. Emphasis would be laid on pulses and groundnut whose acreage had declined in the kharif.

Mr. Reddy said farmers would be encouraged to sow dry crops for better water management. Their seed would be supplied at 50 per cent subsidy and water storage facilities created under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

Reviewing horticulture activity in the State with officials, Mr. Reddy sought extension of insurance coverage to more horticultural crops.

The facility was presently available only to chilli, onion, banana and mango crops. He ordered posting of mandal-level horticulture officers wherever the activity was high.

Ryotu Sangham jathas

Seeking a better deal for the farm sector, Andhra Pradesh Ryotu Sangham will organise `farmers protection jathas' from October 23 to 31.

The jathas to be headed by senior sangham leaders will start from Srikakulam, Adilabad, Tada in Nellore district and Tirupati in Chittoor district and culminate into a massive dharna in the State Capital on October 31.

All-India Kisan Sabha general secretary Atul Kumar Anjan, CPI central secretariat member Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy and other senior leader would participate in the dharna.

The ryotu sangham is seeking, among other things, waiver of farm loans up to Rs. 1 lakh, provision of nine-hour uninterrupted power supply, timely completion of irrigation projects, extending loans to farmers at 4 per cent interest, remunerative prices for farm produce and implementation of comprehensive crop insurance scheme.

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