Hans News Service Warangal

CPIWarangal district secretary Shaik Bhasha Mia has demanded immediate government intervention to protect farmers suffering crop losses due to severe rainfall deficit conditions caused by the El Nino effect. He urged the State government to declare five mandals drought-affected and provide adequate compensation.

The CPI district committee organised a rally from Ekashila Park to the Collectorate on Tuesday, followed by a dharna. A memorandum was submitted to Additional Collector Y.V. Ganesh.

Addressing the gathering, Bhasha Mia criticised the exclusion of Geesukonda, Nallabelly, Khanapuram, Rayaparthy and Wardhannapet from the drought-affected mandals list, alleging that authorities relied on statistics rather than ground-level crop assessments. He said paddy, cotton and maize crops had withered, leaving farmers facing financial distress and unable to recover cultivation investments or repay loans.

The CPI leader demanded compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for paddy and Rs 50,000 per acre for cotton and maize. He sought recognition and assistance for tenant farmers, village-wise crop-loss surveys, crop insurance, input subsidies and agricultural loan rescheduling. He also urged the Centre to sanction Rs 20,000 crore as drought relief to Telangana and distribute 14 essential commodities through ration shops in affected areas.

Party leaders and farmers’ representatives participated in the programme, urging immediate relief measures.