AP CM to seek funds from Centre to assist farmers

Hyderabad, Sep 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will seek huge financial assistance from the Centre to fund the revolutionary pro-farmer initiatives taken up by the State Government to give an impetus to the agriculture sector in the State.

Dr Reddy, would make a detailed power-point presentation to this effect at the Chief Ministers Conference of Congress-ruled States, scheduled to be held at Nainital, Uttaranchal on September 23 and 24.

The meeting would be attended by UPA Chairperson and AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to a release here.

The entire focus of the Chief Minister's presentation at the Nainital conference would be on farmers development in the state.

Dr Reddy, would demand that the funds being allocated under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) be increased by ten times. At present, the Central share in this scheme was only 30 per cent, which should be increased to at aleast 70 per cent, he added.

The Chief Minister, would urge the Centre to come out with a new price policy for the farmers on the lines of Drug Control Act and release substantial funds to provide loans to farmers at the rate of three per cent.

He would also urge Dr Singh to take up a national programme and provide sheep units for generation of employment to the downtrodden people in the rain shadow areas. The Prime Minister should ensure establishing a research centres to prevent ''Blue Tongue'' disease in sheep and bird flu in poultry, he added.

Besides, Dr Reddy is going to put forth a proposal for providing special financial package to protect the Ongole-breed bulls, establish milk chilling centres and cold storages for agriculture produce and development of fallow lands.

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