Andhra Pradesh

Visit surprises many

RAMAKRISHNAPURAM & MEDIKONDURU: There were no heaps of damaged chilli till Tuesday evening. They, however, appeared in the fields by Wednesday morning. There was hardly any damaged/withered patch of chilli crop at Medikonduru, where the helicopter of AICC general secretary and National Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman Veerappa Moily landed.

He was taken in a car to a field where it was partially damaged due to the untimely rain. The remaining part of the crop was getting ready for the third picking.

The farmers had taken one picking out of four or six they usually get. They had even sold the produce from the first picking.

Just when some growers were getting ready for the second picking, rain came pouring. But, as per the government guidelines, when the damage was assessed by Revenue Department officials, majority of the villages accounted for a loss of between 5 per cent and 10 per cent.

Officials themselves looked perplexed as to why such a major exercise was being taken up. It appeared as an attempt to make-believe that the quantum of damage was high. In realty, unless the damage is beyond 50 per cent in village as a unit, farmers will not be eligible for compensation.

“Now, if a fresh survey is done with each farmer as a unit, some will benefit. Otherwise, none qualifies for it,” said district officials on condition of anonymity.

“After the deluge and temporary setback, we have taken it in our stride. We are surprised to find the political leaders coming to us after nearly a month to console us,” pointed out Suryanaryana in Medikonduru. “We will be happy if compensation is paid. But none has bothered about us in worse situations,” he said.

Some farmers, however, took it as an opportunity and poured out their grievance.

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