The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged the Central Government to appoint an expert committee to study the drought conditions in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.
The BJP also wanted the State Government to submit a status report on Rayalaseema to the Centre. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, BJP national executive member Somu Veera Raju said that the people were facing acute drinking water shortage in Rayalaseema even before the summer had set in.
Fodder was not available and the people were migrating to Karnataka and Hyderabad. The State Government should put special focus on the requirement of the region and ensure that steps were taken to meet drinking water and other immediate needs of the people to prevent migrations.
Stating that there was no firm policy on sand mining in the State, the BJP leader alleged that the government was frequently amending the policy. Middlemen were resorting to exorbitant hikes in sand prices as a result bringing the construction activity to a grinding halt. The issue had a telling impact on the development activities as well, he said. It was time that the Government evolved a better sand policy, he added. BJP senior leader Srinivasa Raju was also present.
Congress mukta AP
The BJP national executive member said that the BJP had set for itself the target of making Andhra Pradesh Mukta Congress (free from the Congress). Many Congress and YSR Congress leaders were in constant touch with BJP leadership and were likely to switch loyalties by this month end.
He, however, did not elaborate when asked about the leaders who were in touch with the party. He also evaded direct replies to a query whether former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and AP Congress Committee former president Botcha Satyanarayana were joining the BJP.
The BJP had set a target of enrolling 45 lakh members before March and 10 lakh members were already enrolled. The target was to enroll 45,000 active members and each active member would in turn ensure enrollment of 100 members. Each of 42,000 polling booths in the State would have an active member, he said.
