HYDERABAD:The state government will take up special programmes to bail out the farmers in the drought-hit mandals, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced.
He made this announcement at a meeting of district collectors and SPs here on Tuesday when officials informed him that as per the norms of the central government, only some mandals in the state could be declared drought-hit and not all mandals. Rao asked the officials to prepare a list of drought-hit mandals as per the existing central government’s guidelines.
Rao also reviewed the progress of the water grid project and directed the officials to use the Right of Way Act to see that no one stops acquisition of lands for laying pipelines. Collectors should act tough, he said. As the pipelines are to cross railway lines, roads and canals at 13,550 places, he asked the officials to discuss with officials of respective departments to overcome the problem.
Rao also reviewed the programmes of distribution of three acres of land to Dalits, Gram Jyothi and others. He asked officials to use fire-tenders to water the saplings planted as part of Harita Haaram.
Land Acquisition for Irrigation Projects
The chief minister asked the collectors to take the initiative to acquire lands for construction of irrigation projects. “Irrigation projects are delayed due to delay in land acquisition,” Rao said. Farmers should be paid compensation immediately for the lands acquired, he said and asked officials to give priority in the allotment of houses to farmers and others who lost their lands. Rao expressed satisfaction that land acquisition was completed expeditiously in Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda and Adilabad districts.