BJP urges PM for aid to rain-hit Andhra farmers

NEW DELHI - Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including L.K. Advani, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday to seek assistance for farmers in Andhra Pradesh, whose crops have been hit by heavy rains over the past four months.

The delegation, which included party leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Gopinath Munde, S.S. Ahluwalia and Parshottam K. Rupala, who is in-charge of the BJP affairs in Andhra Pradesh, sought an assistance of Rs.5,000 per acre for the affected farmers in 15 districts of the state.

In a letter to the prime minister, the BJP said the loans should be immediately rescheduled and fresh bank loans provided to the farmers.

The BJP leaders said the Food Corporation of India (FCI) should be directed to procure the discoloured paddy, giving relaxation up to 15 percent, and sale of Sona Masuri rice to other states should be allowed as huge stocks were lying with farmers for want of remunerative prices.

They said the prime minister should convene a meeting of the ministers of agriculture, food and civil supplies, finance and commerce on the issue.

The delegation said Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar should visit the state for a first hand account of the condition of farmers.

The leaders in their letter said that the affected farmers’ crops were swamped by rain water.

Naidu, who toured the rain-affected areas, said the farmers were in misery.

Asked about the damage to crops by incessant rains in Tamil Nadu, Naidu said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured them that problems of farmers would be looked into.