Ananthapuram, October 4: Calling the bluff of TDP government in mitigating drought, Leader of Opposition YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that nearly 90 % of the crop has dried up in the region while Chandrababu Naidu has been claiming that he has driven away drought from the district in just four days and has also undertook an aerial survey to study the intensity of drought.
Speaking at the Rythu Maha dharna in front of the Collector Office here on Tuesday, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has ridiculed Chandrababu Naidu for his blatant lies, ignorance and tall talk on the drought situation which shows his inefficiency and indifference towards the serious issue.
During his earlier visit to the district, he had brandished the rain-guns, as if they were invented by him and said that he has driven away drought by providing water to over 4 lakh acres in just four days. The very same field where he used the rain gun has dried up now and he has feigned ignorance and tried to shift the blame on officials and others that no one had brought to his notice about the drought situation.
While the drought situation in the district was so severe and agriculture labour were migrating in search of livelihood, the Chief Minister who boasts of having computer technology which has a huge database was found wanting when it mattered most, he said.
Nearly 90 % of the crop has dried up in the region as farmers have taken up groundnut cultivation this time but the deficit rainfall had a severe impact. The deficit rainfall in July and August had led to drying up of crop and the Chief Minister made numerous visits to the district but has never opened up on the issue as it is not a priority for him.
YSR on the other hand has always been on the side of farmers, who had waived loans in one go and had taken up many schemes to benefit the farmers including irrigation projects.
Some of them remain to be completed but as agriculture is not the priority for Chandrababu Naidu they are still left out, he said adding that the Chief Minister has resorted to impractical figures of providing water to four lakh acres in four days, which is not possible.
The claim of providing water is only an alibi to evade input subsidy. Of Rs 990 crore input subsidy, nothing was paid so far. There has been deficit rainfall in the region varying from 25 to 52 % and though rainfall is not in our hands, the government should be providing aid and take steps to mitigate the drought situation and ensure that there are no farmer suicides, he said.
YSR had shown the way of how a Chief Minister should conduct himself in the face of drought by mounting pressure on the Centre and taking effective steps to ease the drought by expediting the irrigation projects including Handri-Neva, Galeru-Nagari and Pulichinthala which were completed by 80 % and even today they remain the same.
Even in the face of migration by agriculture labour due to lack of work, the funds for Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme have been diverted. Chandrababu Niadu has been silent even when KCR was drawing more water share.
We have to join hands to fight the anti-farmer policies of the government, he said.
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