BJP asks TDP to stop 'politicising' drought relief

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 14. The BJP floor leader in the Assembly, Mr. N. Indrasena Reddy (BJP), urged TDP leaders on Friday to desist from ``playing politics'' over the adequacy of Central assistance for drought relief in Andhra Pradesh.

Participating in the debate on drought in the House, Mr. Reddy observed that TDP leaders were often complaining on the issue knowing full well that the Centre had streamlined the system of calamity relief.

Accordingly, the Tenth Finance Commission sanctioned a grant of Rs. 208 crores to AP from the Calamity Relief Fund, including 25 per cent contribution from the State Government. In case the drought or any other calamity was of rare severity, additional funding was available from the National Calamity Contingency Fund. ``The Government must explain the efforts it had made to seek funds, how much it had spent and also specify the amount it had spent from its own funds,'' he said.

The BJP leader said the Centre had three lakh tonnes of rice worth Rs. 300 crores as outright grant for drought relief and offered to give more if the quota allotted so far was distributed by September. Recalling the Centre's offer to give more quantity of rice, he reminded the ruling party that the State Government must bear the cash component of the wage for the food-for-work Programme.

Mr. Reddy said the Government must make full use of the new programme, Sampoorna Grameena Rozgar Yojana, being launched by the Centre from October 1 to provide work to the needy in the rural areas as also an estimated Rs 100 crores available under the EAS for drought relief. He was critical of the tardy supply of subsidised seed to the farmers.

Mr. Nomula Narasimhaiah (CPI-M), on the other hand, took potshots at the TDP Government for not getting sufficient assistance from the Centre in spite of extending political support to the NDA regime. He said human failures were as much to blame as natural calamities for the misery of farmers.

He said successive Governments had failed to exploit the State's water resources by not executing long overdue projects like the SRSP Flow Canal and Godavari lift irrigation. He wanted the Government to strictly implement minimum wages to agricultural labourers engaged in drought relief programmes, extend relief in electricity bills, waive interest on cooperative loans and suspend collection of fees from school and college students.

Mr. B. Rajasekhara Reddy (TDP) said the Government must take steps to sustain farmers till the next harvesting season as they had nothing to eat. The debate was inconclusive.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar worst-hit by drought
Next     : Court official trapped