Gadwal: In a strong appeal to district authorities, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] has demanded immediate financial assistance and support for farmers who suffered severe losses in a fire accident in Pragaturu village, Undavalli Mandal. Speaking on behalf of the affected farmers, CPM District Secretary A. Venkataswamy submitted a petition to the District Collector at the district headquarters on Saturday, seeking government intervention and compensation.

According to the petition, the tragic incident occurred around midnight on May 1st, when a massive fire broke out in Pragaturu village. The blaze completely destroyed 18 haystacks belonging to 12 farmers. The destroyed fodder included valuable animal feed brought in from distant locations at significant cost, such as jowar stalks, pigeon pea husks, chickpea husks, black gram husks, green gram husks, and millet stalks.

In addition to the fodder loss, the fire also consumed essential agricultural equipment, including cattle sheds, oil engines, and borewell pumps, leaving the farmers devastated and without critical farming infrastructure. The total estimated loss from the incident is pegged at around Rs. 25 lakhs.

Highlighting the hardships faced by the farmers, A. Venkataswamy noted that the incident has come at a particularly difficult time. With summer in full swing and scarcity of fodder already being a major concern, the destruction of stored feed has pushed the farmers into a crisis. Many are now forced to travel long distances in search of fodder to sustain their livestock, causing both emotional and financial distress.

The CPM leader called for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire and urged the government to take swift action to compensate the affected farmers. He also demanded immediate distribution of fodder from government reserves to alleviate the ongoing crisis.

Among those who participated in the representation were CPM district committee members Singaraju Maddileti, Upperu Narasimha, Advocate Lakshman, Pragaturu branch secretary Madhu, and local members Chennarayudu, Ranganna, Hussain, and Danayya, along with the affected farmers.