HYDERABAD: Around 100 farmers from 25 States, including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab and Karnataka, who reached Telangana to study the best agriculture practices in the State were visibly impressed with the initiatives taken by the government.
Leaders and representatives of the Farmers’ Associations from 25 States are studying and examining the progress made in the agriculture and irrigation sectors at the field level in Telangana. Speaking to newsmen in Hyderabad on Friday, the Farmers’ Association leaders said: “We came to Telangana to study the programmes being implemented by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is known as farmers’ ‘best friend’.”
They said that they would also demand their governments emulate Telangana and adopt similar welfare programmes and agriculture development policies in their States. “Agriculture is a profitable profession in Telangana. We want to study and learn the best practices here,” they said.
The Telangana agriculture sector was considered as a loss-making profession earlier in undivided Andhra Pradesh, but has now emerged as a profitable profession in a short time under the leadership of Chandrasekhar Rao,” the visiting farmers said.
The farming community is looking at Telangana which has brought into force a revolutionary action plan in the agriculture sector in the 75 years of India’s Independence. The farming community is showing interest in many development welfare pro - grammes including crop incentives through Rythu Bandhu, and Rythu Bima which ensures confidence among farmers’ families, 24-hour quality free power and abundant irrigation water supply for two crops through irrigation projects implemented by the Telangana government, they said.
Himansh, a farmers’ leader from Uttar Pradesh, said that the Telangana government providing Rs 10,000 per acre as Rythu Bandhu assistance and Rs 5 lakh insurance coverage to farmers’ families was a “revolution”. He commended the Chief Minister for providing financial assistance to the families of farmers who sacrificed their lives during the farmer's struggle.
KCR, farmers’ best friend
The farmers said they came to Telangana to study the schemes being implemented by KCRS, which is known as farmers’ ‘best friend’