Inefficient, incompetent Govt has driven 200 farmers to suicide: BRS president KCR

Mincing no words in holding the Congress government responsible for the plight of farmers in the State, Leader of Opposition and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Sunday said the callous approach of the government, coupled with its inefficiency and incompetency, had left farmers grappling with withered crops due to water shortage in some districts and damaged crops due to unseasonal rains in other areas.

Demanding a compensation of Rs.25,000 per acre to the farmers, Chandrashekhar Rao, who visited and interacted with farmers in Jangaon, Suryapet and Nalgonda districts on Sunday, said 200 farmers had lost their lives in just about 100 days of the Congress in power. While many died by suicide, several others were electrocuted due to erratic power supply.

“When the BRS was in power, not a single acre dried up. But this season, crops in 15 lakh acres have withered in the State. Never in my dreams did I expect such conditions to resurface in Telangana,” he said at a press conference at Suryapet.

“We have 39 MLAs as the main opposition party in the State. We were not routed in the State,” he said, stating that the ruling party luring one or two MLAs was a cheap political stunt. The BRS government in the last term had laid a solid foundation for adequate power and water facilities in the State and schemes such as Mission Bhagiratha had received accolades from even the United Nations. Still, the State which stood number one in paddy production in the country had descended into such a situation within a short span of time, he said.

Reports of farmer suicides, the sound of borewell digging machines in fields, flourishing water tanker businesses and sights of women carrying pots for drinking water had all become history in Telangana, but barely within three months of the Congress coming to power, all these were back, he said, pointing out that even when the Chief Secretary asserted that sufficient water was available in reservoirs, people were facing drinking water shortage and having to depend on water tankers even in the capital city of Hyderabad.

Pointing out that the BRS government had extended 24 hour power supply to commercial, agriculture and domestic sectors, even developing Hyderabad into a ‘power island’ city, he said the situation had seen a complete



turnaround in such a short time only because of the inefficiency, incompetency and ineptitude of the Congress government. There were days when power cuts became news in Telangana, but now, proper supply of power was becoming news, he said, pointing at the power supply disruption just as he began the press conference.

Appealing to farmers not to lose hope or to resort to extreme steps, Chandrashekhar Rao said the BRS would fight against the State Government on behalf of farmers for compensation, water and power.

“We will wage a war and chase them. We will not allow this government to have sound sleep,” he said.

Recalling that in the past, water levels in SRSP and Nizam Sagar had come down and water was pumped from Singur and supply was ensured to the ayacut, he said 17 tmc was available in Singur, but still water was not being released.

“This government is not bothered about farmers. Where are you sleeping Mr. Chief Minister?” he asked, also slamming the government for its inaction on the sinking of the Medigadda pillars. About 6000 to 7000 cusecs of water was draining down to the Bay of Bengal due to the inefficiency of the government, which was busy playing blame games and with tactics to deflect attention.

The Nagarjuna Sagar and Kadem projects had suffered damages. Even the Hoover dam in the United States had suffered damages four times. Did the US Government left the project to fall into ruins, he asked.

“Congress came to power with just a 1.8 percent higher vote share. The Chief Minister flies to New Delhi. Cabinet Ministers do not inspect damaged crops. Politics is top priority to them, not people’s issues,” he said, stating that enough time was given to the Congress government, which was but trying to evade promises made to the people.

Demanding that the State government pay the Rs.500 per quintal for paddy as promised in the Congress manifesto, he said more procurement centres should be set up than the 7600 centres that were set up by the previous BRS government.

Chandrashekhar Rao later directed BRS district leaders to submit a memorandum demanding the Rs.500 bonus to farmers to district collectors on April 2. Deekshas were also to be staged in all constituencies on April 6.