Nara Lokesh terms Jagan's aerial surveys 'eyewash'

Amaravati: TDP national general secretary and former minister Nara Lokesh on Saturday accused the YSRCP government of not making even the minimum possible effort to rescue the farmers and the general public who were badly hit by the Nivar cyclone and heavy rains.

Lokesh asked why the Jagan government was not carrying out timely enumeration of crop losses and also not giving the required compensation to the farmers in times of natural disasters. While the people were suffering greatly due to cyclones and floods, the Chief Minister was doing nothing except conducting aerial surveys.

In a statement here, Lokesh said that it would not be enough just to hold aerial surveys as an eyewash. Such empty and half-hearted efforts would not wipe out the tears of the farmers. A field-level survey and first hand enquiry from the farmers would give a correct picture. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who travelled on land in the name of padayatra before the elections, began only to fly in air and went beyond the reach of common people after coming to power, he said.

The former minister demanded the Chief Minister to conduct physical visits to the submerged crops and farmers' damaged fields in order to understand the gravity of the situation. The YSRCP made it a habit of neglecting and ignoring the problems of the people ever since it came to power.

Lokesh paid rich tributes to Mahatma Jyothirao Phule on the occasion of his death anniversary. Speaking after paying floral tributes to Phule photo, he said that the YSRCP government was undermining the ideology for which Mahatma Phule stood for. He deplored that funds were not being released for the welfare and empowerment of the backward classes. The government cancelled Adarana, foreign education, Pelli Kanuka and several other programmes that proved to be a boon to the weaker sections during the TDP regime, he said.