Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has alleged that due to the incompetence and inefficiency of the Congress government, farmers had to suffer this season as standing crops in about 15 lakh acres across the State withered due to lack of water.
Speaking to the media in Suryapet after examining the withered crops at Dharavath Tanda in Devaruppala mandal of Jangaon district, Velugupalli and Yerkaram villages of Thungathurty and Suryapet Rural mandals in Suryapet district on Sunday, the former Chief Minister said that it was due to the assurance given by the ruling party leaders that water for irrigation would be provided to the Yasangi crops that farmers had raised crops.
But, water supply was discontinued before the crops reached the harvesting stage forcing farmers to suffer huge losses, including investment loss, Mr. Rao said, adding that about 7 tmc ft water above the minimum draw down level (MDDL) and 7 tmc ft below MDDL were available in Nagarjunasagar as on date and it could have been used for irrigation needs. However, the government had no time to think about farmers’ problems as it had been busy politicking, including encouraging defections.
A farmer at Velugupalli village in Suryapet district talking about his crop loss to BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement
For the record, the State had recorded 5% more rain above normal from June 1 last year to March 31 this year, Mr. Rao said, adding that the argument of poor rainfall would not hold any ground. Even borewells would not have failed, had there been water flow in irrigation canals. The farmers had to suffer additional loss as they went ahead with sinking new borewells to protect their standing crops, he explained.
‘BRS, KCR will fight for you’
Asking farmers not to lose hope and stay brave to sail through this difficult situation, the former Chief Minister said, “Your BRS and your KCR will fight for you”. He also appealed to them not to take the extreme step as BRS as the Opposition party, as mandated by people, would exert pressure on the government to come to their rescue.
He demanded that the government should pay a relief of ₹25,000 per acre. “I never thought that farmers will be so distressed in less than four months of Congress assuming power as its failure to provide water for irrigation, failure to waive ₹2 lakh each farm loan as promised has led to about 200 farmers ending their lives, including some deaths due to electrocutions in farmland,” he said.
