PM calls Naidu, discusses cyclone damage

Amaravati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to enquire about the damage caused in Andhra Pradesh by cyclones Arnab and Murasu, which struck the state within a span of one week. The Chief Minister briefed him on the extensive losses caused by heavy rainfall and strong winds, particularly to agriculture, roads and power infrastructure, and sought “appropriate” central assistance.

Modi appreciated the state government's relief efforts and commended Naidu for his proactive approach in handling the successive cyclones. Naidu urged the Centre to extend comprehensive assistance to state, which is facing the twin challenges of severe drought in several districts and cyclone damage in coastal areas.

An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which visited drought-affected districts, met the Chief Minister on Wednesday and briefed him on its assessment.

The team had toured Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur, and Sri Sathya Sai districts in two groups on November 2 and 3, interacting with farmers and assessing ground conditions. Naidu explained that while coastal districts were repeatedly affected by cyclones, Rayalaseema was experiencing severe drought, aggravated by the El Nino phenomenon.

He said 412 mandals across 21 districts had been declared drought-affected and that prolonged dry spells had damaged Kharif crops. Anantapur, he pointed out, had recorded the second-lowest rainfall in the country. Farmers were facing shortages of irrigation and drinking water as well as fodder for livestock. The state would submit a detailed drought report to the Centre within a week, he added.

Seeking additional rural employment support, Naidu asked the Centre to increase the minimum employment guarantee under the VB-GRAM G scheme to 200 days and permit its utilisation for agriculture-related activities. He said this would help address farm labour shortages, support natural farming, which requires more field-level manpower, and generate rural employment.

The Chief Minister also sought consideration of special drought cards for eligible affected families to access essential commodities at subsidised rates, while pointing out that ration cards had earlier been provided even to large landholding farmers during severe drought. He urged the Centre to support rescheduling agricultural loans as crop losses had reduced farmers' incomes and repayment capacity.

Highlighting the sharp decline in groundwater levels, Naidu sought enhanced support from the Centre for expanding the Jal Jeevan Mission to develop and interlink rural water resources and ensure sustainable water management. He said the state was arranging crop insurance compensation and input subsidies and urged the Centre to ensure prompt settlement of insurance claims, with compensation credited directly to farmers' bank accounts. He also stressed the need for fodder and drinking water support for livestock.

The Central team said it would submit its report to the Centre within 15 days, taking into account information provided by the state government and its own field observations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K Varaprasada Rao

K Varaprasada Rao[email protected]

K Varaprasada Rao is a Senior Reporter with The Hans India, covering the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Chief Minister's Office (CMO), State Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and political affairs. With over 20 years of experience in journalism in Andhra Pradesh, he has extensively reported on governance, public policy, politics, and socio-economic issues that shape the state's development and influence the country's evolving landscape. He holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. His reporting focuses on finance, industries, irrigation, agriculture, infrastructure, investment, public administration, and political developments, with a particular interest in analysing their long-term economic and social impact.

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