Congress legislator from Jagtial T. Jeevan Reddy has demanded that the government declare drought in entire Karimnagar district and release immediately Rs. 100 crore to mitigate drinking water problem in the district.
Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, he also demanded the government to release additional Rs 10 crore for the construction of around 1,000 cattle troughs to provide drinking water to the cattle in the district.
Flaying the State government for declaring drought in only 19 mandals when entire Karimnagar district was reeling under acute drought conditions, he found fault with the government for not even considering the report of Collector Neetu Prasad, who had written to the government to declare drought in 40 mandals.
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He said that the Zilla Parishad general body meeting had also unanimously passed a resolution demanding the government to declare drought in entire district, but in vain.
Stating that the farmers and the villagers were facing several problems due to depleting ground water table following consecutive drought for two years, he flayed district Ministers Etala Rajender and K T Rama Rao for neglecting the plight of villagers, who were already coming on to the roads seeking the drinking water.
Terming that Minister K T Rama Rao was acting as defacto Chief Minister of the state, he asked whether Mr Rama Rao was having any idea about the plight of the farmers and the people of the district.
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The cultivation during this rabi season had come down to 5 per cent of the normal area, but the government was reluctant to provide relief to the farmers, he charged. Town Congress president Karra Rajashekhar and others were also present.