The Chief Secretary of Telangana, A Santhi Kumari, has asked the District Collectors to provide detailed information about crop damage caused by unseasonal rains by May 1. During a video conference with all District Collectors, she instructed them to appoint special officers for each mandal to assess the damage. She also asked Collectors to prevent paddy grain stocked in procurement centres from getting wet. Compensation for crop loss is being distributed from Monday onwards. The Agriculture Secretary, Disaster Management Secretary, and Panchayat Raj Commissioner were present during the conference.
The Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrashekar Rao, directed officials to assess damages caused to crops after unseasonal rains and hailstorms in Choppadandi and Karimnagar rural mandal of Karimnagar district and other parts of the state. This is the second time this summer that untimely rains and hailstorms have damaged crops in parts of Telangana. Minister for Civil Supplies Gangula Kamalar visited a few areas in Karimnagar district and inspected fields damaged by unseasonal rains. He assured farmers that the KCR government will provide 100% compensation and noted that some parts of the district had seen worst-ever damage to crops.
Farmers in Jangaon district staged a protest on a highway demanding payment of compensation for crop damage caused by unseasonal rains. Last month, unseasonal rains and hailstorms had damaged crops over 2.28 lakh acres in various parts of the state. The chief minister had then announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre. However, after a survey, the agriculture department decided to pay compensation only in respect of 1.51 lakh acres. Officials said the money will be deposited in the bank accounts of 1,30,988 farmers.
