TDP indifferent towards farmers: YSRCP

Visakahapatnam/Hyderabad, May 13 (INN): The YSR Congress Party on Friday claimed that the indifference of TDP Government towards the state interests, more so on the irrigation front, and its commercial pursuit in governance would be exposed during the three-day Jala Deeksha of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the May 17 relay hunger strike by party leaders at mandal headquarters across the 13 districts.

'Though the indications are clear and the writing is on the wall that Rayalaseema along with Nellore and Prakasam besides the Godavari delta as well would be facing severe crunch for irrigation and drinking water with projects, legal or otherwise, being built upstream, TDP Government has been indifferent and we have to fight for the future generations and see that the state does not turn into a desert,' Party leaders Botsa Satyanarayana and Ch Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna told reporters at two separate press conferences on Friday.

The recklessness and inefficiency of the government has come to the fore as it did not react in the required measure when Telangana Government has started two projects which would draw water through lift at Mahbubnagar depriving Andhra Pradesh its due share while its commercial agenda has come to the fore by expediting Pattiseema project in a hurry and could not categorically tell to the Centre whether or not it is part of Polavaram or not and also give data about the highly inflated estimate figures.

The projects being built upstream on the Krishna and Godavari would badly hamper the flow of water into the delta region and they would soon turn into a desert if the anomaly is not checked at the proper time. Any project coming upstream should have permission from the respective River Board, apex body and the other state but no such exercise seems to be taken up.

'Our leader YS jagan Mohan Reddy's three-day fast is to highlight the failure of the state government in questioning the neighbouring state and giving the Centre an appropriate reply to the genuine questions and to save the future generations from an imminent water crisis,' he said. A one-day dharna would be concurrently held at all mandal headquarters on May 17 as part of the three-day Jala Deeksha on May 16, 17 and 18.

Drawing water upstream through lift would be a dangerous trend which would turn the state into a desert, more so the Krishna and Godavari deltas and Chandarababu Naidu has failed to safeguard the interests of the state and has shown his true anti-farmer colours,' they said.

Those who have been passing baseless remarks on our Party should be aware that it is TDP that is in power and it is the Chandrababu Naidu-led government that has to initiate the action to stall the Telangana government projects.

'But Chandrababu Naidu, who is involved in the cash for vote case, has been maintaining stoic silence while he has watered down the Polavaram project and brought Pattiseema to the fore which was useful for the contractors and the flow of kickbacks. Chandrababu Naidu has been at his old game again as the farmers have seen how he failed to give water to khariff between 1999 and 2004 and with the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy and Dindi on Krishna and another at Kaleswaram on Godavari coming Andhra Pradesh is in for a severe crunch for irrigation and drinking water. The Jala Deeksha is to create an awareness and public opinion on water utilization and how the state stands to lose with projects coming upstream and how quickly the delta region would turn into a desert,' they said.

Though YSR tried hard in getting national status to Polavaram project to expedite all clearances and permissions, TDP has been deliberately delayed it and brought in a parallel project in a bid to evade the credit to YSR.

The water of Pattiseema is being utilized for industrial purpose to the favoured few of the TDP government which shows the commercial priority of the State Government, they said adding that while people are facing severe hardship Chief Minister has been on a holiday.

'We appeal to all sections of people to join the deeksha to save our delta and the future of state,' they said.