Reaffirming his government’s commitment to the welfare of various sections of society, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao announced on Tuesday a special scheme, the Geeta Karmikula Bima, that will provide toddy tappers with an insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh, similar to the existing Rythu Bima scheme for farmers.
Separately, he assured farmers affected by unseasonal rains that the State government would purchase the entire crop, including paddy stocks exposed to rainwater, at the same price.
The Chief Minister held a separate review meeting with officials and elected representatives on issues concerning the toddy tapping community in his chambers at the Secretariat.
Following the announcement of the community insurance scheme, the Chief Minister directed Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud and Finance Minister T Harish Rao to work out the details for its implementation.
Many families have lost their breadwinners as a result of tappers falling accidentally from palm trees while tapping toddy. It is the responsibility of the state government to reach out to such families. In such cases, the monetary assistance provided under the insurance policy should be deposited directly into their bank accounts, he said.
The government has previously paid ex gratia in cases of fatal accidents involving toddy tappers, but the process has been lengthy. The government had devised the novel Rythu Bima scheme for farmers, which was being implemented successfully benefitting thousands of farmer families in the State. The toddy tappers should also benefit in the same manner, he added.
In another meeting on paddy procurement and measures to be taken to address the damage caused by unseasonal rains, the Chief Minister expressed the concern shared by farmers across the State who were facing massive losses as a result of the unseasonal rains. Assuring farmers that the State government would purchase the paddy stocks exposed to rainwater, he stated that even wet paddy would be procured until the last grain, at the same price as regular paddy.
He assured the farmers that they would not be disappointed at any cost. The state government remained committed to assisting agriculture by taking responsibility for their hardships.
The Chief Minister, speaking about the ongoing paddy procurement and the plan of action to be implemented to avoid losses in the wake of rain ravage, asked Agriculture officials to plan in advance to ensure early completion of paddy harvest, preferably in March next year, to avoid crop losses caused by calamities in summer.
The Chief Minister stated that the State government’s programs for agricultural development and farmer welfare were paying rich dividends today, providing hope for the entire country. Farmers in Telangana had made great strides in agriculture and were reaping bumper paddy harvests year after year. He stated that the government would assist them by procuring all of the produce at their doorsteps.
He emphasized the importance of sensitizing paddy growers through advertisements, posters, and pamphlets on the need for early sowing of the Yasangi crop in order to avoid losses due to calamities such as hailstorms, which are common in April and May, and he asked officials to assist in raising awareness levels among farmers on the importance of adopting crop patterns suited to changing climatic conditions.
Chandrashekhar Rao, who directed Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao to ensure regular monitoring of the conditions on the ground in order to direct farmers in the right direction, also asked Agriculture officials to be present on the ground through Rythu Vedika forums set up by the government. He warned that any laxity in carrying out duties would be dealt with stringently.
Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari was asked to make surprise visits to keep the official machinery alert and duty bound. He added that the government had already extended compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre to affected farmers.
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