Date:08/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/08/stories/2007100855700600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Raghuveera positive on new farm varsity

K.M.Dayashankar

Assures opening of the varsity for the benefit of north Telangana districts

Agricultural loans to farmers under Pavala Vaddi scheme
Additional 25,000 Adarsha rythus (model farmers) to be appointed

Paving way: Minister for Agriculture N Raghuveera Reddy laying foundation stone for the Agricultural Research Station of Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University at Kunaram village on Sunday.

KUNARAM (KARIMNAGAR DT): Minister for Agriculture N. Raghuveera Reddy has assured to take measures for the opening of Agricultural University in Karimnagar district for the benefit of entire north Telangana districts.

Responding to the request made by Minister for R&B T. Jeevan Reddy for opening an agricultural university in Karimnagar district, he said that he would take the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and start the university in one to two years. He also asserted the agricultural university would come up only during the Congress regime.

The Agriculture Minister laid foundation stone for the regional Agricultural Research Station in the interior Kunaram village of Kalwa Srirampur mandal on Sunday. Minister T. Jeevan Reddy, Government Whip D. Sridhar Babu, Peddapalli MP G. Venkat Swamy, local legislator G. Mukund Reddy and others were also present.

Participating as chief guest at the Adarsha (model) ryots meeting at the venue, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy reiterated that the State Government was taking all measures for providing agricultural loans to the farmers under Pavala Vaddi scheme on par with women SHGs. Quoting the Green Revolution launched by MS Swaminathan under the guidance of Indira Gandhi, he said that the Government had appointed Adarsha farmers for every 200 and odd farmers in each village to provide to all necessary assistance from the Government. He said that they had decided to appoint additional 25,000 Adarsha rythus (model farmers) to the existing 25,000 adarsha farmers in the State to make it a total of 50,000 adarsha farmers. He said that the adarsha farmers concept was the brain child of MS Swaminathan and they would act as liaison between the Government and farmers.

Describing the farmers welfare schemes initiated by the State Government, the Minister hoped that the State was progressing towards achieving a record paddy production of over 100 lakh metric tones during this khariff season and emerge as number one state in the country. He reminded that the Andhra Pradesh stood sixth place in paddy production during the TDP regime. Launching a scathing attack against TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu for shedding crocodile tears for the welfare of farmers, he reminded that the TDP had termed agriculture as waste and encouraged only IT sector.

“Even the former US president Bill Clinton had visited Hyderabad only to see Hitec City during the TDP regime,” he noted.

While, the present US President George W. Bush had visited Hyderabad only to see the progress of farm sector and women empowerment, he maintained.