Farmers whose crops withered due to lack of water for irrigation this season despite sinking new borewells poured out their woes before former Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao in Jangaon, Suryapet and Nalgonda districts on March 31.
He first visited Dharavath thanda in Devaruppala mandal of Jangaon district and examined the crop fields of farmers Narsimha Naik and Sattemma which have withered due to lack of water for irrigation. Mr. Rao consoled the farmers who suffered loss and tried to infuse confidence stating that such difficult times would not last long.
A woman farmer, Angothu Sattemma, explained her woes stating that she could not save the standing crop pn four acres which required just two wetting as the new borewells sunk by her by borrowing ₹4-5 lakh had failed to draw any water. She was in more trouble as she had fixed her son’s marriage this summer.
Moved by her plight, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, announced ₹5 lakh assistance to the woman farmer. He asked her not to lose hope and said that the farming community could get sufficient water, power and ₹2 lakh farm loan waiver benefit with a united struggle. He also spoke to other farmers of the habitation gathered there and asked them to be brave and not lose hope.
Dhan Singh, a farmer of the thanda, said they did not face water shortage for irrigation for the last 10 years but this season, their hopes were dashed.
Later, at Yerkaram and Velugupalli villages of Thungathurthy mandal in Suryapet district, he examined the withered crop fields that were getting water from the SRSP canal till the last season. Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao’s vehicle (bus) was inspected by the police at Parre thanda check post as part of election guidelines.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao was accompanied by MLAs Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, G. Jagadish Reddy, MP B. Lingaiah Yadav, former MLAs E. Dayakar Rao, G. Kishore Kumar and several other party leaders.
