APCC chief Sharmila Reddy demands "national disaster" status for Cyclone Motha affected farmers

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 1 : The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Y S Sharmila Reddy demanded "National Disaster" status to the farmers affected by Cyclone Motha. She visited Bantumilli Mandal in Pedana Constituency of Krishna District today to inspect the extensive crop damage caused by Cyclone Motha.
During her visit, she interacted with farmers, observed the devastation firsthand, and expressed deep concern over the unprecedented losses suffered by the farming community.
Speaking to the media, Sharmila Reddy said, "Farmers across the region have lost everything due to the cyclone, which wreaked havoc on thousands of acres of cultivated land. She remarked that the destruction is visible everywhere, with crops completely flattened and livelihoods shattered. Despite such extensive damage, the state government has deliberately understated the extent of the losses in its official reports. The government's preliminary estimate of Rs 800 crore in damages is grossly misleading and far from reality."
According to the Congress Party's assessment, crop damage has occurred across nearly 20 to 22 lakh acres in the state, with losses amounting to more than Rs 20,000 crore. Paddy alone was damaged in over 13 lakh acres, cotton in 3 lakh acres, and groundnut and maize together in more than 4 lakh acres. Sharmila Reddy said that the government's reluctance to acknowledge the real extent of the damage raises serious questions about its intentions. She wondered if the administration was deliberately downplaying the losses to avoid paying fair compensation to farmers.
She pointed out that farmers were already struggling under heavy debts even before the cyclone struck, and their situation has worsened dramatically since then. Each farmer has invested nearly Rs 35,000 per acre in cultivation, and today, that investment has been completely lost. She accused the state government of failing to conduct proper ground-level surveys and of ignoring the cries of farmers who are desperate for support and relief.
Taking strong exception to the silence of the central leadership, Sharmila Reddy criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to even acknowledge the crisis. She said that the Prime Minister visits Andhra Pradesh for political reasons but never speaks about the problems of its people. She alleged that deceiving Andhra Pradesh has become a habit for the Modi government, while leaders like CM Chandrababu Naidu and deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan remain silent spectators, offering tacit approval. She said that the BJP continues to exist in the state only because of the support of the people, but once in power, it conveniently forgets the state's issues. For the Prime Minister, she added, Andhra Pradesh seems to mean only votes, not people.
Expressing deep concern over the collapse of the crop insurance mechanism, Sharmila Reddy stated that there is no clarity regarding the Free Crop Insurance Scheme. During the previous YSRCP rule, insurance benefits were not provided for three consecutive years, and even now, the coalition government has failed to implement the free insurance scheme. Out of 80 lakh farmers in the state, only 20 lakh are covered under the existing crop insurance scheme, and of these, 14 lakh are those who have taken bank loans. The remaining 60 lakh farmers have no insurance protection at all. She said that due to unaffordable premiums, farmers have been forced to stay out of insurance coverage, leaving them completely exposed to natural disasters like Cyclone Motha.
She recalled that in the past, when massive losses occurred, the Chandrababu Naidu government provided only Rs 5,000 per acre as compensation and questioned whether such a small amount could ever be sufficient when the losses are in lakhs. She demanded that the current government immediately conduct a fresh assessment of losses at the ground level and ensure that every affected farmer receives Rs 25,000 per acre as compensation.
Sharmila Reddy further urged the Central Government to declare Cyclone Motha a national disaster and to bear the financial responsibility for relief and rehabilitation. She also demanded that the Free Crop Insurance Scheme be implemented immediately across the state, covering all 80 lakh farmers. The state government, she said, should bear the entire insurance premium so that farmers are not burdened with additional financial pressure.
Concluding her remarks, the APCC chief said that the situation of farmers in Andhra Pradesh is dire and that symbolic gestures will not suffice. Real, immediate, and fair relief must reach every farmer affected by this calamity. She reaffirmed that the Congress Party will continue to stand firmly with the farmers until justice is delivered and their losses are adequately compensated.