The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has squarely blamed the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government for not reaching out to the people in rural areas hit by the “severest drought ever”.
The party’s State secretary P. Madhu said the drought mitigation measures are grossly disproportionate. There is acute drinking water shortage in the State, especially in Rayalaseema, but the government has done little to provide relief.
“The party leaders are filling their pockets by ferrying water through tractors and producing inflated bills”, he alleged at a media conference here on Wednesday. Mr. Madhu came down heavily on the NDA regime at the Centre for bringing down the allocation to rural water supply from Rs. 9,700 crore last year to Rs. 5,000 crore. “While our State sought Rs. 2,000 crore as drought relief, the centre released a paltry Rs. 470 crore, but it chose to sanction the full claim to Maharashtra. The Centre cannot discriminate between States,” he said.
‘Neeru Chettu’ scheme
While welcoming the Cabinet decision to extend ‘Neeru Chettu’ scheme to more villages, Mr. Madhu said the scheme, along with the road widening programme, had plundered the unofficial cremation grounds of the Dalits on tankbeds and the roadside.
The CPI(M) State secretary demanded immediate implementation of G.O. No.1235 issued long back that required the State to allocate or purchase two acres of land for burial grounds of Dalitwadas.
Party State secretary Madhu says there is acute drinking water shortage in State
