Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Visits Flood-Affected Farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan continued his two-day inspection tour of flood-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He reached Vijayawada, inspected agricultural fields, and interacted with affected farmers.
Speaking to reporters, Chouhan said, “Today, I saw the agricultural fields of my farmer brothers and assessed the damage. Farmers’ crops have been fully damaged. There is a 100% loss to Banana, Haldi, Paddy, and vegetable crops. Many of the farmers don’t own their own farmland and do farming by borrowing land on lease but they have lost their crops.”
He added, “So I had come here to convey that on the directions of the PM, the CM here is working with sensitivity. The Centre will cooperate with CM N Chandrababu Naidu. SDRF fund of over Rs 3,448 crore in the state will be used to provide immediate relief to the affected.”
Chouhan accused the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government of not implementing the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana, which deprived farmers of compensation for their crops. He said, “We will make arrangements and pay the premium for Fasal Beema Yojana so that farmers can benefit from the scheme. It’s the consequences of the previous government that Budameru bridge collapsed due to illegal mining in the nearby areas. So we have to come with long-term planning to tackle such floods and will make every possible effort to bring out farmers from this distress.”
Additional Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Jindal reported on the flood situation, saying, “NDRF teams have rescued 350 persons and evacuated about 15,000 persons in Andhra Pradesh and in Telangana they have rescued 68 persons and evacuated about 3200 persons. They have also provided pre-hospital treatment to a number of affected persons and are assisting the local administration in distributing food and relief material to the marooned families.”
He added, “IAF and Navy helicopters have carried out 65 sorties and around 71,000 kgs of food and relief material have been dropped to the affected population in Andhra Pradesh. The MHA has constituted the Inter-Ministerial Central Teams which will visit the affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana shortly for making an on-the-spot assessment of damages caused by floods and will make recommendations to MHA for additional financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund.”
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who reviewed the situation at the Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority, emphasized that protecting lives and property is a top priority.
Doubts Revealed
Union Agriculture Minister -: The Union Agriculture Minister is a person in the Indian government who is responsible for looking after farming and agriculture in the whole country.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan -: Shivraj Singh Chouhan is a politician in India who is currently serving as the Union Agriculture Minister. He helps farmers and makes decisions about farming policies.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana -: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are two states in the southern part of India. They have many farmers who grow crops like rice and cotton.
Centre -: In this context, ‘Centre’ refers to the central government of India, which is responsible for the entire country, unlike state governments which are responsible for individual states.
relief funds -: Relief funds are money given by the government to help people who are in trouble, like those affected by floods, to rebuild their lives.
crop insurance scheme -: A crop insurance scheme is a program that helps farmers get money if their crops are damaged by things like floods or droughts, so they don’t lose all their income.
Additional Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Jindal -: Sanjeev Kumar Jindal is a high-ranking official in the Indian government who helps manage important tasks like rescue operations during disasters.
NDRF -: NDRF stands for National Disaster Response Force. It is a special team in India that helps people during natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
IAF -: IAF stands for Indian Air Force. It is a part of the Indian military that uses airplanes and helicopters to help during emergencies and protect the country.
Navy -: The Navy is a part of the Indian military that operates in the sea. They help during emergencies like floods and also protect the country’s waters.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu -: Chandrababu Naidu is a politician who was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister is like the head of the state government, similar to a principal in a school.