Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State to purchase discoloured paddy

HYDERABAD: The Government will purchase discoloured paddy in the districts lashed by heavy rain and gales and pay compensation “to the last acre” for the crops damaged during Sunday’s cyclonic storm.

Announcing this here on Monday, Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said the officials concerned were asked to make arrangements to purchase the paddy which was damaged and lost natural colour due to the storm, after intimating to the Central authorities.

“Compensation, which will be equal to the full value of crop lost/damaged, will be paid to the last acre and last kilogram of paddy under the Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme”, he said.

Collectors of the six affected districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore had been asked to commence enumeration to assess the crop damage and asked farmers not to get agitated over the loss.

Meanwhile, several places in the State received heavy rain, though the low pressure area weakened further. I. Polavaram in East Godavari recorded 22.7 cm of rain on Monday and Mogalthur in West Godavari 19.4 cm.

Disaster Management Commissioner Dinesh Kumar put the total extent of cropped area that came under the storm impact, at 48,110 hectares but hoped that most crops might survive as water receded from the fields except in West Godavari.

Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said claims of boats and nets being washed away in Nagayalanka area in Krishna district, Ramayapatnam in Prakasam and Kavali in Nellore were being verified for payment of compensation.

He said all the 9,000 evacuated families were leaving the relief camps.

He claimed that the absence of any casualties reflected the alertness of the Government.

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