Plans for future must, Central teams told.
Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad: The Central teams that visited various districts in the State found drastic drop in water-levels in all water bodies besides uncultivated lands and shortage of drinking water, fodder and other problems during their tour of drought-hit Telangana districts. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who interacted with the team members later, said agriculture was heading towards a crisis in the country and there should be immediate steps to counter it.
Seeking immediate Central aid to combat the drought, Mr Rao sought conversion of land into crop colonies, linking agriculture with MGNREGS, and increase in man days under the scheme from 150 to 200 among others. The Central teams, led by Union agriculture additional secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, toured Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Medak and Nizamabad districts and met Mr Rao later.
Several delegations from TD, Congress, TRS and other parties, besides farmers’ organisations met the Central teams and submitted memoranda seeking aid. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao informed the team on the need for short-term and long-term measures to combat drought, which has become a recurring phenomenon, not only in TS but also in other parts of the country.
He sought immediate input subsidy to farmers, water facility and fodder for animals in drought-hit areas. “There is a need for multi-pronged approach to tackle drought in the country. Not only TS, but many parts of the country are facing recurring drought. We instructed officials to provide input subsidy to farmers in 231 mandals,” he said. He also wanted Centre to extend all help in completion of pending irrigation projects and to declare on major irrigation projects as national projects. The CM accused previous governments in undivided AP of neglecting irrigation projects in Telangana which led to drought like conditions wherever monsoon failed.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
Next Story
