Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) nominees may have got a head start in the election campaign over their rivals, but it has also provided enough time for voters to ‘critically’ appraise their performance during their previous tenure.
The trend of voters demanding answers to promises which were left unfulfilled by candidates is picking up gradually and seems headed towards setting the tone for their interface with politicians soon in the 10 Assembly constituencies in old united Adilabad district.
To cite a few examples, Forest Minister in the caretaker Cabinet, Jogu Ramanna, who is the party nominee from Adilabad constituency, was questioned by a youth from New Kummariwada in Adilabad town a few days ago about the promise with regard to jobs. In another meeting at Guda-Sirsanna on September 3, villagers grilled him about his unkept promise to establish a veterinary clinic, drainage system and improvement of other facilities in the village.
Khanapur (ST) constituency candidate A. Rekha Naik was recently denied entry into Yenka village of Utnoor mandal by voters who were angry over unfulfilled promises regarding roads and 2BHK houses. Bellampally (SC) candidate Durgam Chinnaiah also had to field posers from voters of Chinna Bude over his failure to lay roads and on other facilities as promised.
On Thursday, the nominee for Boath (ST) Assembly constituency, Rathod Bapu Rao had to face the ire of voters in Kuchlapur in Talamadugu mandal as they raised slogans of ‘Bapu Rao go back’ and argued with him, pointing out that development work during his tenure was limited to breaking coconuts while laying foundation of some projects.
“We also foresee voters raising uncomfortable questions regarding the failure of major schemes like Mission Bhagiratha in the coming days. Drinking water to tribal areas still remains a mirage,” said a TRS leader, requesting anonymity.
In 2008, the Congress government had launched an ambitious drinking water supply scheme from the Kumram Bheem project to nearly 250 tribal habitations. The TRS government incorporated that ‘failed’ scheme into Mission Bhagiratha, but water could not be supplied to the habitations as promised.
The imposing blue overhead balancing reservoirs, which stand over hillocks and other high ground in the the Agency areas, are a grim reminder of the failure of successive governments in providing relief to parched throats in the tribal heartland.
“It is not just in the tribal belt, we are being ridiculed for pushing deadlines for supply of water in other places too,” the TRS leader revealed.
“Some of the incomplete and almost shelved irrigation projects will also haunt the ruling party,” another TRS leader from Kumram Bheem Asifabad district anticipated.
“The government will have to answer why it shelved the Pranahita project in Sirpur constituency and also about the delay in completion of Chanaka-Korata braage across Penganga in Adilabad constituency,” he added.
Of the 2,000 acres proposed to be acquired for the Pranahita project, previous governments had acquired 400 acres for its canals. “Farmers who sold their lands continue to be in possession of those, but they are apprehensive of the future,” the politician pointed out.
