Maintaining that almost several villages are being vacated in Kurnool district due to the prevailing drought condition, which is really causing trouble, TDP general secretary, Nara Lokesh, said on Saturday that the available statistics clearly indicate that the State has recorded the lowest rainfall this year in the past 100 years.

In a press note released here, Lokesh said Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, is more interested in fixing the leaders of the Opposition parties in fabricated cases than coming to the rescue of the farmers who are reeling under severe drought conditions. “He has no interest to come to the rescue of the farmers except looting the State,” Lokesh said.

When the farming sector is reeling under such a severe drought, the Cabinet which met on Friday did not even discuss this issue and this clearly reflects its commitment towards the farmers, Lokesh remarked. He felt that at least the Cabinet did not review the scanty rainfall situation in the State which is really painful, he said.

Observing that it is atrocious that the State Government has declared only 100 mandals as drought-hit when the situation is prevailing in over 400 mandals, Lokesh appealed to the State Government to immediately come to the rescue of the farmers on a war-footing basis even by relaxing certain norms.