YSRCP govt totally ignored irrigation projects in Seema, flays Nara Lokesh

Badvel (YSR district): TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh has said that with the objective of making agriculture a profitable activity, the TDP has spent Rs 11,700 crore on irrigation projects in Rayalaseema region.

As part of his ongoing Yuva Galam padayatra, the TDP national general secretary has interacted with the farmers at his campsite in Badvel on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, the TDP leader has recalled that former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was responsible for providing water to Pulivendula constituency through Gandikota reservoir on a priority basis ahead of providing water to his own constituency Kuppam.

Responding to a farmer Ritush Reddy of Badvel he pointed out that only 20,000 acres has been brought under irrigation despite 83 tanks existing in Badvel constituency, the TDP leader lambasted the YSRCP government stating that it has totally neglected the irrigation projects in Rayalaseema region though the people had provided victory to the party MLAs in 49 constituencies during the 2019 elections. The government has spent only Rs 2,700 crore on the projects during the last four years, he pointed out.

The TDP leader said the debt burden has gone up significantly on the farmers and AP stands at No.3 position in farmers’ suicides and second in the suicides of tenant farmers.

Lokesh wondered how one can witness development in the farming sector when the Agriculture Minister was busy facing the CBI probe in a case related to the theft of documents from a court in Nellore. Lokesh expressed concern over the failure of the State government to conduct enumeration of the crop loss incurred by the farmers due to the recent untimely rains.

Stating that agricultural growth can be promoted through the linking of rivers, he said that the TDP on returning to power would focus on the linking of rivers Godavari, Krishna and Penna. The TDP leader flayed the State government for not allowing farmers to sell sugarcane in open market only to utilise jiggery for the manufacture of liquor and selling it at government outlets. He assured that such restrictions on sale of sugarcane would be removed once the TDP regains power.

The TDP leader urged the farmers to cast their votes in favour of the TDP in 2024 elections as it will address all the problems being faced by them.