Sanction lift irrigation scheme to Midthur mandal: CPI

Kurnool: Communist Party of India (CPI- ML) district secretary P Venkateswarlu has demanded the government to sanction a lift irrigation scheme to Midthur mandal. Speaking to media persons on Friday, Venkateswarlu said there were around 21 villages in Midthur mandal and the lands in all villages are totally dry and rain fed. The farmers are incurring huge crop losses due to lack of irrigation facilities.

However, he said the farmers depending on rains, cultivating maize, tobacco, foxtail millets, cotton and pulses. If rains are received in abundance, then the farmers would reap good harvest. And if a good harvest is reaped, then the farmers would face bitter experience at the agriculture market yard for not getting remunerative prices to the produce. As they get meagre amount after the disposal of farm produce, the farmers were borrowing additional money from the money lenders to clear their debts.

Several farmers, unable to repay the debts have committed suicides and some others are still repaying the interests. This is the fate of farmers of Midthur mandal. He said that several governments have changed but the fate of farmers did not change. This year also the farmers have raised crops in thousands of acres. Due to lack of rains and unavailability of water from any source the planted crops were dried up. He demanded the government to immediately sanction two lift irrigation schemes to Midthur mandal. In the first phase, the water should be extended from Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi by setting up a link canal at Bhramanakotkur to Midthur mandal and in second phase, water to be supplied from Alaganur balancing reservoir through lift irrigation scheme. He said the constituency MLA and the irrigation minister should address the issue of Midthur mandal.

If the demand is not addressed then they will obstruct the visits of MLAs and Ministers in the mandal, said Venkateswarlu. He said a representation was handed over to the senior assistant Rambhupal Reddy in this regard and urged to take the issue to the notice of higher officials.

Division secretary Gopala Krishna, B Israil, Dharmaraju, Sekhar, R Venkat, student organisation leaders Rangaswamy, M Ganesh and others were also present.