Hyderabad: Worried about farmers’ protests over power cuts, the Telangana state government has appealed to both farmers and police to observe restrain. Home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said the government was trying to purchase power from neighbouring states to overcome the power shortage and the situation would ease in two months.
Asking farmers not to agitate, the home minister also asked the police to observe restraint while dealing with protesting farmers across the state. “The present power crisis is the fallout of the negligence of the previous governments. It failed to assess the growing demand for power and take appropriate measures to increase generation,” he said.
The home minister and education minister Jagadishwar Reddy participated in a function at Nalgonda which was also attended by those who had participated in the 1969 Telangana agitation. The home minister said the Congress and Telugu Desam leaders were criticising Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as they were unable to digest the huge response to the welfare schemes from people.
“We will expose the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party leaders involved in the Indiramma housing and ration card scams. The Congress, which ruled the state for 10 years, failed to provide safe drinking water in fluoride hit Nalgonda district,” he alleged. Referring to the criticism of BJP president G. Kishan Reddy, the home minister said the BJP leader should first strive to get back seven mandals merged with Andhra Pradesh before criticising the Telangana government.
Asking farmers to observe restraint and not attack electricity sub-stations, Mr Jagdishwar Reddy said the government has taken steps to get power supply from Chhattisgarh. “Congress leaders must be joking! The previous government failed to assess the power demand and took necessary steps. It is a fact that the farmers are in dire straits following the failure of monsoon. Farmers should go for contingency crops and the government would extend all support to them,” he added.
