Take up organic farming, Pawan Kalyan urges tribal farmers in Alluri Sitharama Raju district

Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan visits tribal village, discusses organic farming, tourism potential, and welfare initiatives.

Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday visited Kuridi, a tribal village in Dumbriguda mandal, situated around eight km from Araku Valley, on the second day of his tour in Alluri Sitharama Raju district.

On Tuesday morning, Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s son Mark Shankar was injured in a fire accident at his school in Singapore. Mark Shankar reportedly sustained injuries to his legs and hands and also suffered from inhalation of smoke during the incident. Though the Deputy Chief Minister has cancelled his Visakhapatnam tour, he had made a firm decision to visit the village, as he had promised the tribals that he would visit their village.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan was warmly welcomed by the elderly persons of the village. He was then taken to local Siva temple, where he offered special prayers to the deity. Later, he interacted with the locals at ‘Rachabanda’. The tribals brought various issues relating to unemployment, irrigation and a few others to his notice.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan has suggested the locals to come together and collectively take up organic farming.

“There are about 500 acres of land available at Kuridi. If all of the villagers unite and start organic farming and grow fruits, flowers, vegetables and medicinal plants, this would yield good results. The government would provide all support including transportation, supply of essentials etc. Let this pilot programme at Kuridi village set an example to other parts of the State,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister has said that the authorities should take inspiration from Kerala to tap tourism potential in ASR district. He said that in Kerala, local deity festivals are organised in a grand manner reflecting their culture and many foreign tourists take part in them. He suggested the tribals to adopt such ideas, to arrange such festivals, organise cultural events etc. He has also suggested the youth to set up ‘homestay’ facility which could be a source of employment in the region. He said that a number of TV serials and cinemas are shot in the valley and coming up homestay will definitely generate good revenue for the locals.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan said that he was informed that many tribals have been suffering from sickle cell anaemia, for which he assured to look into. He said that he has learnt that there are no proper facilities for pregnant woman in Paderu hospital.