Jana Sena threatens hunger-strike, urges AP Govt to help farmers struck by Cyclone Nivar

Urging the Andhra Pradesh Government to extend immediate help to farmers whose crops had been damaged during Cyclone Nivar, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan on Saturday announced that his party would go on a state-wide hunger strike if an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 was not given to the farmers in the next two days. Issuing a statement, Pawan Kalyan demanded a relief of Rs 35,000 per acre to farmers who lost their crops due to the cyclone urging the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government to issue an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 first.

This comes in line with the protests by the opposition parties demanding the YSRCP-led government to immediately extend relief to farmers. Earlier, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs and MLCs organized a protest rally near the Andhra Pradesh assembly demanding compensation for the farmers hard-hit by the cyclone. The TDP also alleged that the YSRCP government was 'ruled by cheats' and raised slogans against the state government.  

Earlier TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu had hit out at the government saying that the crop damage caused by Cyclone Nivar had left farmers of Andhra Pradesh in a 'state of shock'. The TDP chief further highlighted that crops covering 5 lakh acres in 300 Mandal of about 10 districts were submerged in rainwater and were 'completely or partially damaged'.

Read: Cyclone Nivar: PM Modi Dials CM Palaniswami; Central Teams To Visit Tamil Nadu

Read: Cyclone Nivar: Officials Commence Assessment Of Crop Loss In Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Nivar

The Nivar cyclone last week caused extensive damage to crops in Andhra Pradesh leaving over 6.59 lakh hectares damaged, state Agriculture Minister K Kanna Babu said on Monday. The most affected districts where crops were lost due to Nivar cyclone are West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, and Kadapa. 

The YSRCP-led government in the legislative assembly has said that it will complete the enumeration of the crop losses by December 15 and distribute input subsidy to the affected farmers by December 31.

Read: 'Nivar Cyclone Extensively Damaged Crops In Over 6.59 Lakh Hectares': AP Agriculture Minister K Kanna Babu

Read: After Cyclone Nivar, Another Storm Likely To Hit Tamil Nadu: IMD

(With Agency Inputs; ANI Image)