Govt fulfills free power promise to farmers: YSR

Ponnuru, Andhra Pradesh, Apr 27 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the state government had fulfilled its promise of providing free power to farmers.

Speaking at a public meeting, after unveiling a pylon for a protected drinking water project, Dr Reddy said the developmental programmes in the state were completed on a largescale in the last four years.

The government had written off power arrears, he said, and added it would provide Rs 10,000 crore loans at 25 paise interest to DWARCA women this year.

The government had also decided to construct houses under Indiramma scheme for the houseless poor and increased the monthly pension for widows, elders and physically challenged people, from Rs 75 to Rs 200, he added.

The state government had launched the Rs two per kg rice scheme this month for the BPL families. Within two months the government would give Red gram at Rs 30 and oil at Rs 45 to the white card holders in fair price shops, he added.

Claiming that his government was farmer friendly, Dr Reddy said the interest rates for the crop loans were reduced from 13 per cent to seven per cent. It would initiate necessary steps to provide loans to ryots at 25 paise interest in this year, he added.

The Chief Minister said among the 1.5 crore farmers in Andhra Pradesh about 78 lakh farmers were benefitted by the 'farmers debt loan waiver scheme' announced by the Centre in February this year.

The state government would help the remaining farmers by giving an amount of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 to each farmer, who had repaid their debts to banks and cooperative societies on time.

The Chief Minister also announced an amount of Rs one crore for the construction of municipal office here and Rs 50 lakh for modernisation of six burial grounds, besides Rs 90 lakh for internal roads in this mandal.

He said a Government Polytechnic College would be set up here as per the request of local MLA G Venkata Reddy.

He flayed the TDP government for not implementing its promises like Rs two a kg rice scheme and providing agricultural power at Rs 50 per horse power, during its tenure.

UNI CS GKT Mir GC1957