KCR calls for action plan in Telangana to tackle crisis

Citing the hardships being faced by farmers across the State due to lack of irrigation water and quality power supply, the BRS president said it was much more than a natural calamity, and was a man-made and government-made calamity.

Rajanna Sircilla: Tearing into the Congress government for its inept, inefficient and incompetent governance, Leader of Opposition and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday demanded the government to chalk out an action plan for lifting River Godavari water, to enumerate the crop loss, to extend a bonus of Rs.500 for every crop and to place orders for Bathukamma and other festivals with weavers to bail them out of the present crisis.

If the Congress government failed to prepare an action plan to lift water at 25,000 cusecs flow, the BRS would reach Medigadda with 50,000 farmers and start lifting the water, he said.

Addressing a press conference here after visiting and interacting beleaguered farmers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district, Chandrashekhar Rao said that due to the incompetence of the Congress government, about 48 to 50 TMC of water had drained down from Medigadda into the sea. Every day, about 1,500 cusecs was still going down, he said, adding that engineers had said there were no proper orders from the government.

“All this is being done with a sole intention to blame K Chandrashekhar Rao,” he said, going on to list out the failures of the government in multiple sectors. Coming down heavily on Congress leaders for asking weavers to sell condoms and papad to eke out a livelihood, he asked how responsible leaders could make such comments.

“I demand the government to clear arrears of Rs.300 crore payable to weavers and to place orders with them, failing which they will be compelled to approach court. The BRS will bear the legal expenses,” he said.

Citing the hardships being faced by farmers across the State due to lack of irrigation water and quality power supply, the BRS president said it was much more than a natural calamity, and was a man-made and government-made calamity.

Slamming Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for failing to address farmers’ issues, he said as requested by the Chief Minister, details of 209 farmers, who had died by suicide, were shared within four hours with Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari. Since the government was responsible for their deaths, it should pay compensation of Rs.25 lakh each to the families of the deceased farmers. This apart, compensation of Rs.25,000 per acre should be paid to farmers for crop losses, he said.

Due to poor water management by the government, crops in 15 lakh acres had withered, he said, pointing out that the government released water from the Nagarjuna Sagar left canal immediately after he visited Suryapet.

“Had the water been released 20 to 25 days back, many crops would have been saved. The funny aspect is that Chief Minister blames me for not alerting him earlier. If that is the case, what were the Irrigation Minister and the State government doing?” he asked.

Also lashing out at the State government over drinking water issues, he wondered why Mission Bhagiratha was not being maintained or reviewed. Demanding supply of water tankers free of cost in Hyderabad, Chandrashekhar Rao said this would not cost the government more than Rs.400 crore to Rs.500 crore.

Since the Chief Minister had said that the 100 days of Congress government was a referendum for the Lok Sabha elections, Chandrashekhar Rao said the farming sector was in crisis. Banks were serving notices to farmers over loans as the Congress government failed to fulfill its promise of farm loan waivers up to Rs.2 lakh by December 9, he said.

Similarly, sheep unit distribution was shelved and Dalit Bandhu assistance approved by BRS government was frozen.

“Under Kalyana Lakshmi, the Congress had promised one tola of gold. Why is the government not able to arrange one tola of gold? People will haul the Congress leaders over coals for evading their promises,” he said, adding that the State Government had also stopped the overseas scholarships for students and the breakfast scheme in schools.

Not leaving the BJP either for its opportunistic politics, the BRS chief said the saffron party had no strength in the State. In the last elections, they had lost deposits in 100 constituencies while this time, deposits were lost in 64 constituencies.

“The BJP leaders are moving around our leaders as they lacked candidates to field in the elections,” Chandrashekhar Rao said.