Andhra CM failed to take preventive measures against floods: Naidu’s son Lokesh

National

AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary and former Minister Nara Lokesh on made a whirlwind visit to the flood-hit areas and enquired about crop losses from the farmers in East Godavari district. Lokesh stepped into the knee-deep floodwaters in the agricultural fields at several places and asked the farmers about the extent of crop damages. The farmers poured out their woes on account of the loss of their crops even as there was no enumeration being taken up by the Government till now.

The TDP former Minister visited damaged crops spread over different villages in Jaggampeta, Prathipadu, Pithapuram and Anaparthy assembly constituencies. He also visited the submerged houses in the flood waters. Former Home Minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, Jyothula Navin, Pavani, Varupala Raja and others during his visit to Gollaprolu and Pithapuram mandals.

Addressing after visiting flood-hit crops at Gollaprolu, Mr. Lokesh accused the Jagan Reddy regime of deliberately dividing farmers along caste and religious lines for the sake of deriving political mileage. Benefits were not being given to the deserving farmers under Rythu Bharosa. Discrimination was being shown to the poor and tenant farmers in the schemes.

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Mr. Lokesh flayed the Government for failing to take preventive and advanced mitigation measures even though prior information was available on the flood situation. The flood victims and the evacuees were not getting proper relief and essential supplies. The AP Government has responded only when the Prime Minister made a telephone call to enquire about damages in the floods and heavy rains.

Stating that the Ministers were openly humiliating farmers, Mr. Nara Lokesh deplored that Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy was travelling in helicopters in the name of aerial visits without making field visits to console and rescue the farmers. The CM was not bothered to ensure proper relief and compensation when the farmers were facing misery in the repeated floods and heavy rains.

Mr. Lokesh said that instead of taking up relief measures, the YCP Ministers were using all their energy to criticise and attack the TDP. They were speaking as if the TDP leaders had no right to visit the flood-hit areas. Agriculture Minister Kanna Babu was nowhere to be seen even though crops were submerged and damaged all over the State causing severe losses to the farmers. Compensation has not reached the farmers who lost their crops in the last season’s floods till now.

Mr. Lokesh accused the YCP Ministers of making unreasonable comments like how enumerations of crop damages could be taken up during floods. Crops were damaged in over 3.3 lakh acres in August and September. This year, floods occurred in the rivers three times. Not even once, the Government has given compensation to the farmers.
The TDP leader asserted that crops were damaged in over 70,000 in East Godavari district.

No MLA or Minister has come forward to extend help to the farmers. This Government was not able to supply seed and fertiliser to the farmers. In the last 17 months, over 750 farmers committed suicides due to losses and debts. The foodgrain farmers were being harassed by not giving their Rs. 2,000 Cr arrears. The TDP would continue its agitation till justice was done to the farmers.

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