Hyderabad, March 19 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) senior leader T. Harish Rao has demanded the Telangana government to provide financial assistance to farmers who suffered huge losses due to unseasonal rains.

The former minister said the government should provide compensation of Rs10,000 per acre for the farmers, whose crops were damaged.

He said crops in districts like Adilabad, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet and Rangareddy were hit by hailstorm with gusty winds. He said at a time when the crops were ready for harvest the hailstorm had left farmers in tears.

Damage to paddy, maize and sorghum crops along with horticultural crops like papaya and mango has caused heavy losses to farmers.

He recalled that in the past whenever untimely rains resulted in losses to farmers, then chief minister KCR personally met farmers and comforted them. He announced on the spot a compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre for farmers.

Harish Rao said though unseasonal rains have lashed part of the state for the last 2-3 days, there is no response from the present government. He said that the Congress government which does not care about farmers and only indulges in politics should wake up and render all help to farmers.

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 posted on ‘X’ a Government Order issued in April last year to release Rs.151.56 crore towards the compensation for farmers, whose crops suffered extensive damage due to thunder and hailstorms between March 17 and March 21, 2023, in 26 districts.

Nearly 1.31 lakh farmers were paid compensation of Rs.10,000 each.