Adilabad: Gravel roads are being laid to agricultural lands under the ‘Polam Bata’ programme in villages, to facilitate farmers’ access to their fields for agricultural operations, safeguarding standing crops, and transporting the harvest home. The initiative, launched in the erstwhile Adilabad district, will be extended to all villages across the state. It is understood that funds from the MGNREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) will be used for constructing these roads under the Polam Bata scheme.
The programme aims to improve road connectivity to agricultural fields, particularly during the monsoon season. Local MLAs are laying foundation stones for gravel road works in their respective Assembly constituencies. The roads under the ‘Polam Bata’ initiative will be developed in a phased manner across villages.
Farmers note that agricultural labourers now arrive at the fields in groups using autos, a big change from the past when they had to walk four to five km to reach the fields.
Adilabad MLA Payal Shankar laid the foundation stone for a 5-km gravel road in Jainad village on June 7, at an estimated cost of Rs 28 lakh. He said that gravel roads connecting agricultural fields will be developed in all villages in a phased manner.
He appealed to farmers to voluntarily donate small portions of land where roads are too narrow, to facilitate the laying of gravel roads under the ‘Polam Bata’ programme. He noted that the state government is undertaking this initiative to ease the hardships faced by farmers, especially during the monsoon, when walking through mud and waterlogged fields becomes difficult and transporting materials to the fields poses a major challenge.
He pointed out that agricultural labourers are increasingly reluctant to pick cotton and transplant paddy unless there is proper road connectivity. As labourers now travel in groups by auto to the fields, having accessible roads has become essential for ensuring their availability and timely agricultural operations.
Payal Shankar said an action plan has been prepared to lay gravel roads to agricultural fields in the Adilabad Assembly constituency at an estimated cost of Rs 65 crore, using both state and Central government funds. He assured that all sanctioned road works will be completed at the earliest.
Boath Assembly Constituency Congress in-charge Ade Gajender said that gravel road works under the ‘Polam Bata’ programme are being undertaken in Neredigonda, Kumari, and Boath mandals.
