ANANTAPUR: CPI state secretary K. Ramakrishna has demanded special package with immediate effect to support residents of drought-hit parts of the state. In view of severe rain deficit and drought conditions, mostly in the Rayalaseema region, the CPI team visited some villages in Anantapur district to assess the situation on Monday. Interacting with farmers at Rapthadu and Kandukur villages, Mr Ramakrishna concluded that most of the farmers could not take up sowing in Anantapur district.
“Even 25 per cent of fields were not sown with groundnut,” he noticed. Lashing out at the government's failure to mitigate the situation, Mr Ramakrishna alleged that the rain gun concept has not helped to save even a hectare despite Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu making false statements for political mileage. He demanded that the government release pending bills under NREGA programme because farmers and labourers are caught in a debt trap. “Bills have been pending under NREGA programme for the past eight months in the district,” he said.
