Naidu's major sops for farmers

TIRUPATI/HYDERABAD: In his new welfarist avatar, Chandrababu Naidu continued to reel off sops for yet more sections of the vote bank at the TDP''s Mahanadu in Tirupati.
After unfurling new schemes for women on the opening day of the conclave, he turned his attention to farmers and people of backward areas on Wednesday: 80 lakh farmers will be organised into self-help groups (SHGs) on the lines of Dwcra.
Their brethren in drought-hit areas will be given loan waivers. And Rs 7,000 crore would be spent in the next three years on a development drive in backward areas.
To give shape to all these measures, the government has convened a two-day conference of district collectors on June 9 and 10 to discuss the fine print. Naidu announced his intervention on behalf of farmers during a debate on agriculture policy at the Mahanadu.
Under a new initiative, each farmer SHG would be given micro credit of Rs 2,500 and Rs 15,000 as grant. The money will be useful for poultry, pisciculture, cattle breeding purposes and for purchase of agricultural tools.
Naidu announced that interest would be waived on loans taken from state and district cooperative banks by farmers in drought-hit areas. This would cost the government: Rs 250 crore. The chief minister also agreed to waive penal interest (cost: Rs 94 crore) on crop loans.
In addition, the state government''s share of Rs 100 crore for crop insurance would be released immediately. Four lakh farmers utilising market yards would be given insurance cover of up to Rs 1 lakh in case of death and Rs 50,000 for major injuries.
The CM had something for labourers too: beedi workers would be given 20,000 houses and families of rickshaw pullers would be given Rs 50,000 if the bread-earner dies of unnatural causes (Rs 20,000 in case of natural cause).
On Thursday, Naidu is expected to announce some more schemes: this time weavers, toddy tappers, fishermen and the jobless.
The officials are working out the finer details including the financial burden on the exchequer. Naidu has instructed his peshi officials to be in regular contact with him. Officials hinted at the possibility of reorienting the budget proposals to accommodate the chief minister''s sop spree.