“After the formation of Telangana State, the state government has taken several measures for the welfare of farmers said the CM KCR at Pragathi Bhavan. Earlier, farmers used to suffer due to lack of seed and fertilisers. Their land used to turn arid patches due to lack of water. Now things are changing for the better. We are constructing irrigation projects.
Through Mission Kakatiya we are reviving the tanks. We are giving 9 hours power supply. We have ensured that there is no scarcity of seed and fertiliser. We are constructing Godowns with a storage capacity of 21.5 Lakh Metric Tonnes. We are solving issues one by one,” the CM announced.
“Now farmers have two major issues, one is input expenditure and the other is Minimum Support Price for the produce. For the input expenditure, the state government, last year itself decided to give Rs 8000 per acre irrespective of the crop to the farmers as input subsidy. A farmer may have hundreds of acres but yet he should not worry about the input expenditure. Farmers used to run from pillar to post during the scorching heat of Rohini Karte to raise loans.
We have decided to give the input expenditure to the farmers to pull them out of the vicious circle of raising private debt. Now farmers in the Telangana state are out of the habit of raising debts for their input expenditure. Now farmers will be happy and if farmers are comfortable the entire village will be comfortable. The traditional trades dependent on the agriculture will also prosper. If farmer is a Planet and hereditary professionals are the satellites. The rural economy strength begins with farmers prosperity,” the CM observed.
“Getting Minimum Support Price for the crop is another issue that is troubling farmers and this is a recurring problem. We have though about a solution to this problem. We will constitute farmers Assocation in the Mandals. From there we will form district and state level farmers federations. The Farmers Association will have the authority to fix the prices. The Farmers Assocation will discuss with the Mandal level traders and decided the price. All sales will happen based on this price only. In the coming Budget we will allocate Rs 500 Crore to the State Farmers Federation.
It will intervene and give the difference of money when the rates or down to help farmer to get the Minimum Support Price. Stat-wide Crop Colonies will be formed with this fund. The agriculture scientists will decided on which crop to be cultivated based on the quality of soil, temperatures, weather, availability of water etc., Farmers should follow this advice. This will result in high yields. Gone those days where everyone will go in for the same crop. This will result in fall of the prices in the market and farmers are becoming enemy to the other farmer.
Every one gets a good price through different crops cultivated under Crop Colonies. The state will also become self-sufficient in production. We will provide support to export the produce to other States and countries after consumption within the State,” the CM clarified.
“We have passed Land Acquisition Act in the Assembly today. I am very happy. If the land acquisition process picks up the projects can also be completed faster. We have constructed Bhakta Ramadasu project in a record time. We will also construct Seetharama project on similar lines. Wit this, Khammam district will become fertile. We will complete all projects in the Telangana State and supply water to agriculture and there by develop it. With the removal of burden on input expenditure, ensuring Minimum Support Price to the produce and supply of water, agricultural activity in the State will become a festivity.
There is no need to raise loans on debt for the input expenditure and there is no worry about the MSP. There are no problems of marketing. The farmer will become king and he will be economically stronger. The Bankers will make rounds around the farmers requesting him to take a loan. I am dreaming this situation. This dream will be realised. The way separate Telangana State dream is fulfilled this dream of making farmer a king will also be realised,” the CM exuded confidence.
