KHAMMAM TO GET BACK AP VILLAGES
Centre, TS failed in providing MSP: Jeevan
The state is likely to get back some of the villages of Khammam district which were merged with AP after the bifurcation.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao told the Assembly on Tuesday that AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had agreed in principle to transfer the villages back to the state. He said that roads and buildings minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, who belongs to Khammam district, was overseeing the matter.
After the bifurcation, AP had demanded seven mandals in Khammam district that were in the submergence area of the Polavaram project. The Centre amended the AP Reorganisation Act and merged 211 villages in AP.
Chief Minister K. Chandrsekhar Rao alleged, on Tuesday that the Congress was behind the attack on the Khammam market yard, and the burning of paddy crop in Suryapet district.
During Question Hour, Congress members T. Jeevan Reddy, D.K. Aruna and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said false cases had been framed and farmers jailed for demanding minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.
Mr Jeevan Reddy said that the state and Central governments had failed in providing MSP. He said that in Khammam district, farmers were handcuffed by the police. He demanded bonus for farmers growing cotton, paddy, maize and other crops. He said in Suryapet district farmers had burnt their paddy crop for nor getting MSP.
Replying to this, agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said the government was taking steps to implement MSP as announced by the Centre.
Intervening in the discussion, the CM said cotton was damaged in some areas due to untimely rains. He said he had himself lost some crop due to rains. The government had written to the Centre requesting purchase of 20 per cent damaged cotton.
He said the government was expecting 30 lakh tonnes of cotton production and only one lakh tonnes had come to the market.
Reacting to the allegations made by Congress members, Mr Rao said the Congress was behind the Khammam and Suryapet incidents. He said in Suryapet district, the farmers had burnt the paddy crop that was damaged by some disease, which the Congress had presented as a protest.