Senior leader of the Congress party Mohd. Ali Shabbir has criticised the State government’s attitude of inaction on the severe drought conditions prevailing in the State.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he stated that severe drought conditions were prevailing in 450 out 589 mandals in the State but the government was not bothered event to conduct a seasonal review meeting to tackle the situation arising out of truant monsoon. “They focus for now appears to be only on the municipal elections,” he alleged.
He demanded that the State government to conduct a special session of the Assembly for one week to discuss the issues of drought, education and health. The debate on drought should be taken up without Question Hour, he suggested and pointed out that the government was keeping mum on the closure of 4,000 schools and non-implementation of Aarogya Sri due to paucity of funds. Treatment of poor under Aarogya Sri was stopped by private hospitals due to piling up of ₹1,750 crore dues, he pointed out.
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Further, he demanded that the State government release a white paper on its financial position and it should also respond to the Centre’s statement made in Parliament on the debt of the State. Lack of funds at the disposal of gram panchayats had become a hindrance even in taking up works related to basic needs and sarpanches were spending their own money in some villages.
Listing out other problems, he noted that salaries were not being paid to gram panchayat secretaries, students were not getting scholarship amounts and several new residential schools were not even provided buildings. He also asked the government to clarify its stand on the 12% quota to minorities.
On the delimitation of municipal wards and divisions, the Congress leader said it was full of irregularities with the sole objective appearing to ensure easy win for the ruling party. He alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s activity was confined only to hold review meetings on Kaleshwaram project and strategy meetings with party leaders on municipal elections.
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He alleged that MIM too was not raising issues concerning people and trying to deceive people like the TRS.