BJP Kisan Morcha urges Centre to sanction ₹1,000 crore relief for cyclone-hit farmers in Andhra Pradesh

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kisan Morcha, Andhra Pradesh unit, has urged Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to immediately sanction central assistance for farmers severely affected by Cyclone Montha, which devastated crops and farm infrastructure across several districts of the State.

In a memorandum submitted to the Union Minister, BJP Kisan Morcha State president Chigurupati Kumaraswamy highlighted the extensive crop losses and infrastructural damage caused by the cyclone. The delegation, led by Mr. Kumaraswamy, met the Minister in the presence of BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav. Senior BJP leaders Matta Prasad, Y.V. Subba Rao, Tullimilli Srinivas, Rajesh, and Kishan Vachha also took part in the meeting.

The Morcha said the cyclone had destroyed thousands of acres of horticultural and field crops—including fruits, vegetables, and nurseries—besides damaging drip irrigation systems, farm sheds, cold storages, and poultry units. It sought a special relief package of ₹1,000 crore from the Centre to provide immediate compensation to farmers, replace damaged inputs such as seeds and fertilisers, supply fodder for livestock, and repair farm infrastructure.

The Morcha urged that the compensation be credited directly to farmers’ accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for transparency and timely disbursal, and that central teams be deployed at the district level to assess losses and monitor relief operations.

It also appealed to the Centre to facilitate Andhra Pradesh’s re-entry into the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, credit premium subsidies directly to farmers, ensure effective implementation of Minimum Support Prices through procurement agencies, and strengthen cooperatives and agri-infrastructure schemes.

The Morcha further emphasised the need to promote horticulture, organic and dryland farming, and digital agriculture initiatives. It described Andhra Pradesh farmers as the backbone of the nation’s food security and called for immediate central intervention to safeguard livelihoods and ensure long-term agricultural sustainability.