APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy on Friday said that people from the backward districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram were migrating to greener pastures in search of livelihood as the government failed to handle drought effectively.
Mr. Raghuveera Reddy visited Pogiri village in Rajam Assembly constituency of Srikakulam district in the morning and Gunkalam village in Vizianagaram district in the evening as part of the ‘Karuvu Yatra’.
Top party leaders — M.M. Pallam Raju, K. Bapiraju, K. Muralimohan, K. Kruparani, and D. Srinivas — accompanied Mr. Raghuveera Reddy and explained the plight of farmers and labourers following unprecedented drought in the backward areas.
Addressing a public meeting in Pogiri, Mr. Raghuveera Reddy charged the government with failing to ensure drinking water in the drought-hit areas. He demanded that the government pay input subsidy due to the farmers for the last few years.
He said that many persons were denied pension because of the whims and fancies of the Janmabhoomi Committees.
Several villagers complained to the Congress leaders that the government did not issue ration cards. They also expressed their concern over lack of employment opportunities in the district.
“The Congress government provided employment through the NREGA programme during summer to prevent migration of people. But the very purpose of the scheme has been defeated during the TDP-BJP rule. People have lost faith in the government and they would teach a lesson to the TDP during the 2019 elections,” Mr. Raghuveera Reddy said.
Mr. Muralimohan said that the Congress government never showed any bias in the implementation of government schemes. He said that the Janmabhoomi Committees undermined the importance of the local bodies at the village level. Party Srikakulam wing in-charge D. Srinivas and Ms. Kruparani asked the government to declare drought in all the 38 mandals of Srikakulam district.
DCC president D. Jaganmohana Rao and Youth Congress State general secretary Chowdary Satish sought early completion of the Thotapalli and Vamsadhara Phase II projects.
MLC P. Viswa Prasad was present.
