The hopes of the farming community in Telangana ravaged by vagaries of the nature took a hit on Tuesday with the officials explaining to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that the number of mandals making it to the drought-affected areas’ list would be very low due to the guidelines of the Centre.
However, the Chief Minister announced that the government would take up special programmes to provide relief to the farmers suffering losses due to the drought conditions. The issue was discussed in detail at the Collectors’ conference here, in which the Chief Minister directed them to prepare a report on the drought conditions and the relief measures needed.
The Chief Minister told the officials to construct bridges across streams, rivulets and rivers in a manner in which they could become useful as check-dams. He asked the irrigation officials to take up the second phase of Mission Kakatiya works this year by December 31 by sending the proposals to the government at the earliest. He told them to complete all works taken up in the first phase soon.
Reviewing the water grid works, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over construction of intake wells and told the officials to make use of the Right of Way act for laying pipelines.
Some persons were obstructing laying of pipelines through their lands with mala fide intention to delay the project. He instructed the Collectors to act tough against such persons as the pipelines would be laid 1.6 meters beneath the surface.
The water grid pipelines had to cross railway lines, roads and highways and canals at 13,550 locations. The government would take up the matter with railways and national highways authority and Collectors should coordinate with other departments in case of other such bottlenecks.
Programmes such three acres land to dalits, grama jyothi, regularisation of house sites through GOs 58 and 59, Haritha Haaram and others were also reviewed.
