AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday fulfilled another major pre-poll promise, thereby bettering his unparalleled reputation in the country as a leader who ‘walks the talk’. Much to the delight of the large farming community of the state, he launched the ‘YSR Jala Kala’ scheme, which is intended at mitigating the hardships of the peasants by drilling agricultural borewells free of cost.
YS Jagan formally kick-started this novel scheme at a simple event held at his camp office in Tadepalli. Even as farmers are rejoicing the ‘coming true’ of one more YS Jagan promise, the state government will embark on a mammoth exercise of putting together all the processes right from the stage of enrollment. As the scheme is fully implemented across the state, a staggering five lakh acres of drylands (metta bhumulu) will be brought under irrigation thus benefitting close to 3 lakh farmers in the process. Despite the financially-crippling times of COVID-19 pandemic, the state government is pushing ahead with the scheme at a total estimated cost of Rs 2,340 crores in fulfillment of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s promise made during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra.
The AP CM, who has already translated most of his pre-poll promises into a reality, is extending the ‘YSR Jala Kala’ scheme as a gift to the farmers who felt hassled during the previous TDP regime and bore the brunt of its apathy. YS Jagan, as then leader of opposition, personally saw the farmers’ struggle in having to drill borewells to many thousands of feet into the ground and still nurse no real hope of finding some water for their farm lands. He was moved by their plight where they were driven into steep debts, he promised to provide a lasting solution to the issue by getting the borewells drilled absolutely free once he assumed the power of the state.
As promised, the chief minister set the ball rolling for the scheme that was also incorporated under the ‘Navaratnaalu’, the basket of pre-poll assurances to the general public.
Speaking via videoconferencing on this proud occasion, CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that his government has made another decisive stride for the welfare of the farmers. YSR Jala Kala is being launched with the sole objective of providing irrigation water to the farmers in all the 13 districts by drilling free agricultural borewells. His government has been implementing several landmark schemes for the welfare of farmers and development of agricultural sector.
Elaborating on the salient features of the scheme, YS Jagan said that the ideal location for borewells will be identified after a scientific survey on the underground water resources. To ensure greater transparency, a specially dedicated software would be created for this purpose, he added. This will be developed in such a way that the farmers would be able to know the status of their requests right from the stage of enrolling their applications till the phase of borewell drilling, he added.
“We are going to spend Rs 2,340 crores for YSR Jala Kala scheme. Besides borewells, we will also get electric motors fixed for this purpose, all free of cost. An additional Rs 1600 crores will be spent for the motors. Farmers who want to avail off this scheme will have to register their applications in village secretariats (grama sachivalayam) through village volunteers. The government will bear all the costs right from borewell drilling to surveying of lands for underground water resources.
“In case any of the existing borewells have gone dry, we will new borewells drilled for them. The state government will also bear monthly electricity costs amounting to Rs 9,272 crores at Rs 6.80 per unit. We have already cleared the Rs 8655 crores of dues kept pending by the previous government. The previous regime never thought of providing day-time power supply for farming. Also, the feeder capacity used to be only at 59 per cent under the earlier government. After coming to power, we have spent Rs 1700 crores to increase this feeder capacity to 89 per cent,” the chief minister said.
While stating that the state government is progressing ahead with the objective of providing quality electricity to the farmers, he said that the farmers have the right to question if there are any shortcomings or discrepancies in power supply.
Deputy Chief Minister Dharmana Krishna Das, ministers Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Botsa Satyanarayana, Kanna Babu, Anil Kumar Yadav, Gummanuru Jayaram and Seediri Appalaraju besides MP Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose attended the meeting.
