Minister Laxman Slams BRS For Ignoring Farmers
Defends Congress irrigation efforts: Reports
KARIMNAGAR: SC, ST, and minorities welfare minister Adluri Laxman Kumar criticised the BRS and former minister Koppula Eshwar for commenting on irrigation issues, stating that the BRS government had completely neglected the farming community during its 10-year rule. He made these remarks after inspecting the integrated vegetable market in Dharmapuri town, Jagtial district, on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, the minister strongly criticised Koppula Eshwar, accusing him of misleading farmers by seizing their lands under the pretext of the Kaleshwaram Project, with false promises of providing additional TMC ft of water. “Instead, the land was handed over to a mega company, leaving farmers deceived,” he alleged.
Referring to villages like Donthapur, Jaina, Rajaram, and Dammannapet, where farmers suffered crop losses due to non-functional irrigation lifts and lack of water supply from the Godavari, Laxman Kumar said it was the Congress government that stepped in and released 1 TMC ft of water after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was informed of the situation.
He further questioned the moral right of Koppula Eshwar and the BRS to speak about irrigation when they had failed to even clear contractor dues for the Dammannapet lift project during their tenure. “How much compensation was given to farmers affected by unseasonal rains under the BRS rule?” he asked.
Commenting on the integrated vegetable market in Dharmapuri, the minister noted that local farmers and vendors had raised concerns about the elevated platforms in the sheds, which were making sales difficult. He assured that the matter had been brought to the attention of municipal authorities and that revised plans would soon be prepared to make the market functional and farmer-friendly.
Laxman Kumar also criticised the previous BRS government for failing to provide drinking water to Dharmapuri, despite its proximity to the Godavari River. He announced that the Congress government is preparing plans to ensure permanent drinking water supply for the town, including the construction of water tanks under the AMRUT scheme.
