Relief likely for tobacco farmers

The Tobacco Board, in its special meet at New Delhi on Tuesday, decided to reimburse the penalty collected from farmers who cultivated excess tobacco.
The board also announced Rs 6,000 compensation per hectare and Rs 4,000 compensation per hectare for partially damaged crop due to the recent incessant rains.
The Ongole MP and Tobacco Board member, Mr Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, speaking to this newspaper said that the meet headed by board chairman, Mr G. Kamalvardhan Rao, had decided to waive interest on tobacco crop loans acquired from national banks, rescheduling of loans for the next four years, an additional loan of Rs 50,000 to each tobacco farmer who totally lost his crops and Rs 30,000 loan to farmers whose crop was damaged partially.
Mr Srinivasulu Reddy said that after the meet, Union minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, MP, Mr Undavalli Arunkumar, Rajya Sabha member, Mr K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, and board members met the Union commerce minister, Mr Anand Sharma, and briefed him about the board’s decisions.
He said that Mr Sharma assured them of discussing interest waiver and penalty repayment issues with Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee.
Mr Srinivasulu Reddy said that the Union minister, Ms Panabaka Lakshmi, MPs, Mr Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy, Mr Lagadapati Rajgopal, Mr Kavuri Sambasiva Rao, Rajya Sabha member, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, state minister, Mr Kasu Krishna Reddy, and others participated in the meet.