Khammam: Irrespective of the quantum of rainfall, steps are being taken to ensure that farmers in Khammam district start cultivation with Godavari waters in the month of January itself, said Minister for Agriculture, Marketing, Cooperation, Handlooms and Textiles Tummala Nageswara Rao.

Accompanied by Sathupalli MLA Dr Matta Ragamayi, Oil Fed MD Yasmin Basha and Oil Fed Chairman Janga Raghava Reddy, the minister laid foundation stone for a new oil palm factory at Kallurugudem in Vemsur mandal on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that there would be obstacles in every work, and adulterated plants are detected at the nursery stage itself.He said that development works in Sathupalli would be taken up with special attention as per the promise given during the elections. He said that the NTR canal was completed in the past with the intention of providing irrigation water to farmers in Vemsur mandal. He said that the Rajiv Link canal was completed and Godavari water was provided to the Sagar Ayacut in the Vaira constituency.

He said that Godavari water will be brought to Sattupalli area by June, and even if Nagarjuna Sagar is not full, we will fill the tanks of Vemsur mandal with Godavari water. He said that the CM has approved the revised estimates for the pending works to supply water to the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme to irrigate 10 lakh acres of two crops in Khammam district regardless of the rains.

He said that other districts should learn from Khammam district in terms of the growth of national highways and oil palm crops. He said that the Kallur and Vemsur national highway exits have been set up so that Sattupalli can be reached in 33 minutes from Khammam, and these works will be completed by August 15.

He said that despite financial difficulties, CM Revanth Reddy deposited Rs 33,000 crores in the accounts of farmers by continuing the schemes of the previous government.

The minister informed that the government would soon launch crop insurance scheme and efforts would be made to ensure that compensation is provided if crop is lost due to any reason. He called upon the authorities to ensure that the remunerative price of oil palm crop exceeds Rs 21,000.

He said that farmers should focus on horticultural crops such as oil palm crop. In the next 10 years, oil palm would be cultivated in 20 lakh acres in the state. He assured that the oil palm crop does not suffer due to drought and floods. The farmers would be provided with plants that would yield crops in 3 years.