Govt wants to make farmers prosperous: Parkal MLA

Hanamkonda: The State government has been coming up with innovative initiatives towards the welfare of farming community in Telangana, stated Parkal MLA Challa Dharma Reddy.

He said the crop loan waiver of Rs 17,000 crore has benefitted nearly 36 lakh farmers across the State. It was planned to ensure 24-hour power supply to irrigation needs and offer Rs 4,000 financial assistance per acre to invest in farming in each crop season.

Similarly, restoration of thousands of tanks under Mission Kakatiya and modernisation of irrigation canals in the State ensured sufficient irrigation to agriculture lands. All these measures have meant to address the problem of farmer’s suicides.

He addressed a gathering at a programme organised by Sarvodaya Youth Organisation (SYO) to distribute loans to farmers’ widows in Hanamkonda on Thursday. He appealed the widows to put the money to the best use and become financially self-reliant and lauded the efforts made by the NGO in supporting the widows.

The information and public relations deputy director, DS Jagan, also wanted the families of deceased farmers to make proper use of the loans they were given. He reminded that Sarvodaya, which was working for the cause of farmers’ widows and women rights during the past 24 years, received several awards.

The suicides by farmers owing to debts and crop failures have rendered their families hopeless. In order to offer help them in building their families, the farmers’ widows were being loans to take up small enterprises, informed the organisation secretary P Damodar.

So far the Sarvodaya has offered loans to 220 widows and on Thursday Rs 10.4 lakhs were distributed to 45 farmers’ widows hailing from different parts of the district. The beneficiaries could repay the loans in easy installments, he said.