Home Minister vows to support sugarcane farmers affected by factory closures in Vizianagaram district

Home Minister Anitha vows to support sugarcane farmers affected by factory closures, ensuring agricultural growth and development.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Monday promised to take care of the interests of sugarcane farmers in the backdrop of closure of many sugar factories in the district. As the in-charge Minister of the district, she reviewed developmental activities in a meeting organised in the Vizianagaram Collector’s office.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Anitha said that many farmers stopped growing sugarcane as there was little chance to export it for crushing with the closure of sugar factories in the district. Minister for MSME Kondapalli Srinivas, Vizianagaram MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu, several MLAs including Kondru Murali (Rajam), Kolla Lalitha Kumari ( S.Kota) Baby Nayana (Bobbili) and others informed the Minister that the sugarcane cultivation reduced in the district with the closure of the mills due to various reasons.

They said that farmers were not able to send the sugarcane to Sankili sugar factory in Srikakulam district due to additional burden in the form of transport charges. Ms. Anitha assured that she would look into the issue and take necessary steps for increasing sugarcane cultivation in the next kharif season. She directed agriculture officials concerned to ensure adequate supply of seeds and fertilizers to farmers and stop their sale at exorbitant rates in the open market. Ms. Anitha said that the government was giving priority to the improvement of canals of all irrigation projects to increase crop acreage in the district. A few MLAs asked the Home Minister to chalk out an action plan for the follow-up action on the decisions taken in the district review meetings. District Collector B.R. Ambedkar told the Minister that the district administration had taken necessary steps to overcome drinking water problems in Vizianagaram city and other places and alternative arrangements were made for the supply of adequate drinking water to people.