Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, credited Rs.1820.23 crore to the bank accounts of 15.15 lakh farmers who lost their Kharif crop in 2020 under the ‘YSR Free Crop Insurance' plan.
The Chief Minister, while speaking on the occasion said that the government had taken on the responsibility of assisting farmers in difficult times and had thus introduced a free crop insurance policy that did not impose a premium burden on farmers.
He explained that the state government had overhauled the programme by paying the entire insurance fee, ensuring that all farmers participating in the e-crop platform receive their share of insurance straight from the company, with no middlemen involved.
He claimed that in the last 23 months, a total of Rs.3,788.25 crore had been spent on this crop insurance programme alone, including the Rs.715.84 crore in overdue dues left by the previous government. Aside from this, the state government has spent Rs 83,000 crore on farmer welfare in the last 23 months, with Rs 17,029 crore spent on Rythu Bharosa alone.
According to the Chief Minister, the loss in Kharif 2020 will be repaid by the start of the next Kharif, ensuring that no farmer will incur damages. He stated that the State government has credited Rs.1,038 crore as Input Subsidy to farmers who had lost their crops due to natural calamities, and that every farmer will be repaid in the same season.
Besides, the government had spent Rs.18,342 crore on paddy procurement and Rs.4761 crore on other crops and farmer support. Rs.17,430 crore was invested to supply farmers with free nine-hour energy throughout the day. Chief Minister added that the government had also cleared paddy procurement arrears of Rs.960 crore and seed procurement arrears of Rs.384 crore left by the previous administration.
At a cost of Rs.14,000 crore, the government is constructing multi-purpose centers under each RBK. The government had donated nearly two lakh borewells at a cost of Rs.4932 crore under the YSR Jala Kala programme, as well as motors to poor farmers.
He told that the government kept every election pledge and fully followed the election manifesto. Ministers K Kannababu, Poonam Malakondaiah, and MVS Nagi Reddy, Vice Chairman of the AP Agri Mission, were among those in attendance.
