Opposition YSR Congress is planning drought agitation in all the districts. Protesting the state government’s failure to get drought relief on a par with other states, the party is planning dharnas at collectorates across the state. Party president and opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy will lead these programs.
The party strongly criticized the Telugu Desam government for its failure to assess the drought situation correctly and convince the center in order to get more funds. Besides, the party expressed doubts over the spending of the MNREGS funds to the benefit of farm laborers in the state. It alleged large-scale diversion of funds from MNREGS to other programs.
Party senior leader and MLC Prof Ummareddy Venkateswarlu said the YSRC was not able to understand why chief minister Naidu failed to get more funds for Andhra Pradesh, when his counterparts in many states got liberal assistance from the centre.
” The Centre has released to Chhattisgarh Rs 1672 crore for drought relief works. Among other states, MP was given Rs 2033 crore, Maharashtra Rs 3050 crore, Karnataka Rs 1540, Uttar Pradesh Rs 1304 and Orissa Rs 815 crore. Even though chief minister Naidu himself made a request for Rs 2444 crore, what the centre released was just Rs 433 crore. Was it the failure of the state to get more funds for AP or Centre also is not ready to come to the aide of the state or both?” Prof Ummareddy wondered.
Prof Ummarreddy suspected a large-scale diversion of funds from MNREGS , which was meant to provide employment to the farm laborers during the drought period.
” When there is scope for providing 100 to 150 days work per season per head under MNREGS, the state government on average has provided just 47 days of work. Similarly, the labour component under the program should not be lesser than 60 per cent, it fell far below the minimum requirement. It clearly shows that the money is being spent more on machines, instead of manual laborers. Defeating the very purpose of the scheme, the TDP government is helping the contractors get more benefit from the schemes. This gives rise to a suspicion that funds are being diverted to the other programs by cutting the man days to farm laborers,” Prof Ummareddy said.
All these issues, he said, would be highlighted during the drought agitation. The dates of program would be announced in a day or two, he added.
