Opposition parties organised a huge demonstration in front of the Collectorate on Monday morning demanding the State Government to declare Visakhapatnam district as drought-hit and arrange protected water supply to Agency area.
The agitational programme was in response to a state-wide call by the opposition parties demanding immediate steps to meet the drought situation and provide assistance to the affected.
District secretary of Communist Party of India J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy led the dharna in which Telugu Desam leaders Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Pappala Chalapathi Rao, PRP leaders Vamsi Krishna and Guruvulu, CPI (M) district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao, and Lok Satta Party leader Chandrasekhar participated.
Compensation
They demanded that apart from declaring the district as drought-hit, the farm loans should be rescheduled with waiver of interest and fresh loans should be sanctioned. Besides, farmers should be paid compensation at the rate of Rs.10,000 per acre for loss of crops, free supply of seeds and fertilizers during rains, supply of fodder to cattle, and free distribution of 50 kg of rice a month to agricultural labourers to prevent their migration and extension of the rural employment guarantee scheme to 150 days to them.
