PRP seeks Rs 10,000 per hectare compensation for farmers

Hyderabad, Jan 19 (PTI) The Praja Rajyam Party todayappealed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy topay a compensation of Rs 10,000 per hectare to farmers wholost their crops in the recent natural calamities in differentdistricts of the state.

Nine PRP MLAs, led by their deputy leader BandaruSatyananda Rao, met the Chief Minister in the stateSecretariat late this evening and submitted a two-pagememorandum on the farmers and other issues of "publicconcern."

They also sought reduction in sales tax on petrol fromthe current 33 per cent and waiver of four per centvalue-added tax on kerosene to ease the burden on the people.

The PRP legislators wanted the government to implementthe market intervention scheme with a fund of Rs 1,000 croreto control spiralling prices of essential commodities.

They also took up the issue of damaged roads across thestate and wanted the government to take up repair andrestoration works on a war-footing.

"The Chief Minister responded positively to our pleas. Hepromised to take necessary steps to address the issues weraised in the memorandum," Satyananda Rao and his colleaguestold reporters after the meeting.

They denied there was any political motive to theirmeeting with the Chief Minister. "Everything that appeared inthe media about our meeting is only speculation. We areconcerned only about people''s issues and accordingly took themup with the Chief Minister," they asserted.

PRP MLAs Vanga Geeta Viswanadh, Eeli Nani, VelampalliSrinivas, Sridhara Krishna Reddy, Ch Venkata Ramaiah, AvantiSrinivas and others were part of the delegation.