Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) senior leader T Harish Rao on Tuesday, March 19 has demanded the Telangana government to provide financial assistance to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rains. The former minister said the government should provide compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre for the farmers, whose crops were damaged.

In the past three days,  Adilabad, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet and Rangareddy were hit by hailstorm with gusty winds. Harish Rao said, at a time when the crops were ready for harvest the hailstorm had left farmers in tears. 

“Whenever untimely rains resulted in losses to farmers, then chief minister KCR personally met farmers and comforted them. Spot a compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre for farmers. Though unseasonal rains have lashed part of the state for the last 2-3 days, there is no response from the present government. The Congress government does not care about farmers and only indulges in politics. The government should wake up and help farmers,” Harish Rao said. 

The BRS leader said in addition to assessing the crop loss due to unseasonal rains, the government should immediately provide compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre.

Harish Rao stated that the BRS government in April last year released Rs 151.56 crore towards the compensation for 1.31 lakh farmers who suffered extensive damage and were paid compensation of Rs.10,000 each.