Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress govt for creating an artificial drought, former minister T Harish Rao said farmers were now facing power cuts, irrigation shortages and crop losses under the Congress rule. He demanded an apology from chief minister A Revanth Reddy for power and irrigation problems.
Harish Rao recalled that in 1983, a request was submitted to then Chief Minister N.T. Siddipet district was formally inaugurated on October 11, 2016, he said. Later, after becoming CM, KCR signed the order and fulfilled the long-standing demand.
Power is also not being generated to meet the needs of farmers,” he said. On Siddipet district formation, Harish Rao said the people of Siddipet had benefited greatly from the formation of the district ten years ago. He said the formation of Siddipet district brought administration closer to the people and helped improve public services. The BRS deputy leader said major irrigation projects, including Ananthagiri, Gouravelli, Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar and Kondapochamma Sagar, transformed the district and improved irrigation facilities.
“This is not a drought caused by nature. It is an artificial drought caused by the Congress govt. Water is available in the rivers, but the govt is not operating the pumps properly. He accused the Congress govt of neglecting Siddipet and cancelling development projects over the past three years. New mandals and gram panchayats also supported local development. Rama Rao for the formation of Siddipet district. He credited KCR, the then district administration and local public representatives for completing these projects within a short period.
He said the BRS government had also brought an IT Tower to Siddipet so that local youth could find employment in the technology sector without having to move to other cities.
He listed several projects that he said had been cancelled or put on hold include roads, corrector college, SC residential degree college, sports stadium, and tourism projects. He said the unfinished structures at some locations were evidence of projects left incomplete. Harish Rao alleged that the Congress govt had focused on cancelling development projects in Siddipet rather than completing them. He also alleged that the govt had failed to maintain roads and buildings developed during the previous administration.