Major relief to coconut farmers

Hyderabad: The coconut farmers affected by the cyclones and heavy rains would be paid Rs 500 as input subsidy against Rs 150 per coconut tree. The input subsidy for each coconut plant was fixed in 1996 and it was not enhanced, though input subsidy for paddy and other crops was increased four to five times, so far.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who reviewed damage to crops in coastal districts on Saturday, announced the enhancement of input subsidy to Rs 500. He directed Chief Secretary P K Mohanty and all District Collectors to carry out rescue, relief and restoration measures and to distribute assistance to the victims immediately.

The officials informed that so far, 346 vulnerable areas in five districts were identified and a total of 21,283 persons were shifted to 93 Relief Camps. Six deaths - two each in Krishna and East Godavari and one each in Srikakulam and West Godavari districts- were reported. Paddy in an extent of 1.59 lakh hectares and 210 hectares horticulture crops, apart from roads, electricity supply and drinking water systems, were affected in five districts. A total of 381 houses were damaged.

Kiran Reddy spoke to Ministers Thota Narasimham, Vatti Vasant Kumar, Pithani Satyanaryana and K Parthasarathy, who are supervising the cyclone relief measures in East and West Godavari and Krishna districts, and enquired about the damages.