Declare Warangal District as Highly Drought-Affected, Demand MCPI(U) Leaders
WARANGAL: The MCPI(U) Warangal district committee on Wednesday demanded that the government scientifically assess the severity of drought and declare the entire Warangal district a highly drought-affected area. Party leaders said groundwater depletion, dried-up tanks and ponds, crop damage and declining yields had left farmers facing heavy losses.
Addressing a dharna held in front of the Collectorate after a rally from Ekashila Park, MCPI(U) district secretary Peddarapu Ramesh criticised the government for declaring only eight mandals in the district as moderately drought-affected, while excluding the remaining five mandals from the drought list. He said the district administration had failed to accurately assess the ground-level situation despite severe drought conditions.
Mr Ramesh demanded that the Centre provide Rs 50,000 crore in drought assistance to Telangana. He also sought compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for farmers who lost cotton and chilli crops, Rs 30,000 per acre for maize and paddy, and Rs 20,000 per acre for other crops.
Employment and Relief Demands
The leaders said agricultural labourers were struggling due to a sharp decline in employment opportunities and were waiting for work. They demanded 200 days of employment for farm workers at a minimum wage of Rs 400 per day.
They also urged the government to prevent power cuts, ensure uninterrupted irrigation facilities for farmers, and distribute 14 essential commodities free of cost to the poor.
Statewide Drought Assessment Sought
Party State secretariat members Morthala Chandar Rao and Gone Kumaraswami said the government’s identification of only 255 mandals as moderately drought-affected and 111 mandals as highly drought-affected was inadequate. They demanded a comprehensive, scientific assessment of drought conditions across Telangana and immediate relief measures.
State committee members Kusumba Baburao, Mukkera Ramaswami and city secretary Malothu Sagar said people were facing shortages of drinking water and employment due to the drought. They sought a special budget to address the crisis and immediate assistance of at least Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre.
Memorandum Submitted
Later, a party delegation met DRO Vijayalakshmi and submitted a memorandum listing their demands.
Party leaders Singathi Sambaiah, Narra Pratap, Vangala Ragasudha, Kanakam Sandhya, Nagelli Komuraiah, Singathi Mallikarjun, Sunchu Jagadishwar, Balusukuri Narasayya, Ganipaka Odelu, Mohammad Ismail, Aitham Nagesh, Mali Prabhakar, Narasayya, Guda Suresh, Udutha Ganesh, along with party workers and local residents, participated in the programme.