Water stoppage to handri-neeva: Kotla demands Rs 1 lakh compensation per acre
TD party national vice president, Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy addressing a media conference here at the party office on Sunday. Somi Shetty Venkatehwaruu, Akepog Prabhakar and others were also seen.
Kurnool: TDP national vice-president Kotla Jayasurya Prakash Reddy demanded that the state government pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to per acre for the crops that were damaged due to lakh of water in Kurnool and Ananatpur district.
Addressing a media conference along with party Kurnool Parliamentary president Somisetty Venkateshwarlu here on Sunday, he said the YSRCP government caused great injustice to farmers of both districts who cultivated crops depending on the water supply from High Level Canal (HLC), Low Level Canal (LLC) and Handri-Neeva. But due to stoppage of water to HLC, LLC and Handri-Neeva, the standing crops in both districts have withered, he said.
The party MPs, MLAs and other leaders though well aware of the suffering of farmers were keeping silent, he alleged. "In 2019, the then TDP government sanctioned repairs to HLC, LLC and Handri-Neeva and accordingly the works also have started. In the meantime, after Jagan came to power, the YSRCP government issued GO No. 365 which resulted in a halt to repair works," he pointed out.
Jayasurya Prakash Reddy further said that the water which was being used from the Handri-Neeva lift irrigation was also stopped on the grounds of non-payment of electricity bills. The farmers who are unaware of the government's decision cultivated crops and are now neck deep in problems due to withering of crops. He said the government saying that the HLC, LLC and Hundri-Neeva are developing breaches due to which the water was stopped.
Stating that the reasons cited by the government were not true, Reddy demanded the government immediately complete the abruptly stopped repairing works and extend water to the farmers of Kurnool and Anantapur districts. He also sought payment of a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to every acre under ayacut. If justice is not rendered to the farmers, the TDP will stage protests.
Party leaders Akepogu Prabhakar, MLC candidate Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy and other leaders also spoke.