Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Govt. fails to extend relief to drought-hit: YSR

By Our Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM Nov. 16. The CLP leader, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, came down heavily on the Government for its "failure'' to mitigate the drought conditions persisting in the State.

Addressing a news conference along with the Khammam MP, Renuka Chowdhury, he said travails of the peasant community owed mainly to its "lack of concern'' and "sincerity in approach.''

The State had experienced drought conditions in six of the past eight years, he said. The condition of the peasant community as well as rural artisans was deteriorating year by year. Even if this sort of a calamity had become more or less a regular feature, the Government had failed to think of measures for a permanent solution to the problem.

The Government assured nine-hour supply to the agriculture sector but failed to implement it. The Government had backed out from its assurance to give round-the-clock supply to domestic services. The farmers who were carried away by assurances given by the Government on nine-hour supply, raised crops pinning all their hopes on groundwater sources.

But the discoms seemed to have no commitment for farmers. Whether the agriculture services got two-hour supply or full nine hours, it would make no difference to the discoms. The farmers who had raised crops under irrigation wells and borewells were let down badly.

So was the case with farmers in the Nagarjunasagar project Left canal and right canal command. Crops were raised in 2.5 lakh acres as the water supply was given to Zone I. But the subsequent closure of the canal in view of the poor inflows into the project came in as a rude jolt for the farmers. The crops were withering away under the canal system for want of water.

Though the Minister concerned had assured the farmers of compensation for the loss of crop in the NSP command, it could not be materialised in view of the disapproval of the Chief Minister. The non-payment of compensation left the farmers in the lurch. They had become restive and started agitating for supply of water to save the standing crops.

The Food-for-work programme was marred by "irregularities.'' Had it been implemented effectively, agricultural workers would have been left with a surplus stock of 4 quintals of rice each. The State had over one crore hectares under cultivation and 45 lakh acres of area was being irrigated under different irrigation sources such as canals, tanks, wells and borewells.

Another 55 lakh acres was unirrigated area with dry crops. Agriculture in at least 30 lakh hectares of it could have been sustained by initiating permanent measures for drought relief. He said the plantation programme being carried out with the Forest Department would yield better results if the peasant community were involved in the effort in a big way.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy was accorded a rousing welcome at the railway station by party leaders and workers. The Khammam DCC president, Vanama Venkateswar Rao, the party MLAs, R. Venkata Reddy, Younis Sultan, the Khammam Municipal Chairperson, A. Nagamallika, the Zilla Parishad chairman, Chanda Lingaiah, and a host of leaders met him on his arrival in the town.

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