The Communist Party of India (CPI) launched a 30-hour protest against the Union government’s decision to redistribute the river Krishna waters between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, also against what it termed the State government’s ‘indifferent approache’ towards the prevailing drought in the State.
The speakers, addressing the gathering, demanded that the State government takes up immediate assistance measures for the affected farmers — pay compensation to those who suffered losses due to the drought.
CPI state secretary K. Ramakrishna, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gidugu Rudraraju, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ravula Venkaiah and others spoke. They said that the Centre should send a team to assess the impact of drought and losses incurred by the farmers.
“Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy hasn’t uttered a word on drought and crop loss, and was indifferent to the farmers’ plight. While more than 440 mandals in 18 districts were drought hit, the government hasn’t taken up any drought mitigation measures. The government was requested to take the village as a unit, implement common code, and waive off the loans taken by the farmers. Contingency plans to provide drinking water in ensuing summer has to be chalked out,” they said.
The farmers, who did not take up farming activities across lakhs of acres due to scanty rainfall and withering crops, were migrating to other States, they added.
“The Centre should also put its plans to redistribute the river Krishna waters on hold, they did not accord special category status to A.P. nor implemented the provisions of A.P. Reorganisation Act. The decision to redistribute the Krishna River Waters was a death blow to the State,” they emphasised.
