YSR threatens stir over neglect of drought-hit areas

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 1. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Dr.Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, visited some of the worst affected villages in Kalwakurthy area of Mahabubnagar district on Wednesday and warned that his party would not hesitate to launch an agitation to secure a better deal for the victims of drought from the State Government.

Dr.Reddy saw vast stretches of farm lands left fallow due to prolonged dry spell, a completely dried up irrigation tank (Gunderu cheruvu) near Kalwakurthy and withered crops at Kotra. Agricultural workers including a large number of women, rendered jobless due to suspension of farm operations, narrated their plight to him.

The perennially drought-prone Mahabubnagar district is hit by drought for the fourth year in the last five years and what Dr.Reddy saw was only a sample of the desolate scene obtaining in most parts of the district.

Accompanied by the local Congress leaders, Dr.Reddy walked across the fields and picked up wilted plants which would have been ready for harvest by now in the event of copious rains. He saw some of the borewells which had dried up and farmers complained about erratic power supply. The checkdams built by the Government were of no use as the rainfall was scanty.

More than 75 per cent of the normal cropped area in Kalwakurthy was left fallow, while the crops in the remaining area did not survive for want of water. "This is the third successive drought in this region," a farmer explained.

In Kalwakurthy town, the CLP leader inaugurated a hunger strike camp which was organised by the party in protest against the indifferent attitude of the Government towards the plight of the drought-affected people. Mr.Y.Kista Reddy, former MLA, and others undertook a day-long fast at the camp.

Addressing a gathering, Dr.Rajasekhara Reddy lashed out at the State Government "for being insensitive to the alarming situation." He asked the Government to provide power free of cost to farmers, at least as a temporary measure, to mitigate their hardship caused by the dry spell. If the Congress was voted to power, they would have enjoyed electricity free of cost by now, he said.

The CLP leader said the Chief Minister, Mr.N.Chandrababu Naidu, came out with "fallacious" arguments to deny free power to the farmers.

Dr.Rajasekhara Reddy said the drought assistance of Rs. 140 crores announced by the State Government was meagre. It consisted of Rs. 60 crores provided by the Central Government under Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, Rs. 26 crores of insurance amount due to the farmers and Rs. 38 crores available under Employment Guarantee Scheme. In effect, the State Government was spending not more than Rs.16 crores. He demanded release of at least Rs.1 crore each to the 900-odd mandals affected by the drought to attend to the immediate needs of the people.

People had to treck long distances for drinking water. Youth and able-bodied persons migrated to distant places for work leaving the aged to fend for themselves. Locked houses greeted visitors in most villages. Drought recurred in the cursed district but the Government was unmoved, he lamented.

The CLP leader said the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation Scheme, a long cherished dream of the people, was a non-starter. The computer-savvy Mr.Naidu would dismiss agriculture as a wasteful activity. The Congress would stand by the people in their hour of crisis and would agitate to force the Government to attend to their needs, he said. Power bills, loans and all other dues from farmers should be waived immediately, he demanded.

The DCC-I president, Mr.Jagdeeswar Reddy, Mr.Mallu Ravi, ex-MP, and others spoke.

The fasting ex-MLA, Mr.Kista Reddy said that only 39 per of the normal area was sown this season but 80 of the crop withered. In a relatively prosperous Marchala village, all the 300 borewells had dried up. Cattle is being led to slaughter houses. "We, a group of farmers purchased a tractor load of fodder from Miryalguda area at Rs 5000 to feed the cattle. The Governmental help is negligible," said Madhavaiah of the village.

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Section  : Southern States
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