Andhra Pradesh - Nalgonda   

`Water, water everywhere no power to draw it'

K. Venkateshwarlu

This is main complaint of farmers to TDP president Chandrababu Naidu who toured Nalgonda district on Thursday

GRIM PICTURE: Farmers showing their withered crop to Telugu Desam president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at their fields near Tirumalagiri in Nalgonda district on Thursday. — PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

NALGONDA: Notwithstanding the Government's assurance to supply adequate power to see that not an acre goes dry, the problem seems to be assuming serious proportions with paddy fields spread over hundreds of acres wilting in Nalgonda district. Hundreds of farmers in village after village poured out their power woes ranging from a erratic supply to burnt motors triggered by low voltage, during a tour of the district by Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday.

"I am ruined. Just when my paddy crop reached a crucial stage requiring plenty of water, power supply turned irregular. Will two hours supply be enough to sustain a crop spread over four acres? We have lost all of it. I do not know how we will survive. We have three daughters and a son," wailed Keerthi Veeramma of Pasunuru village in Thungathurthi mandal before Mr. Naidu.

Motors burnt

Like Veeramma, Yakoob, Ramulu and Chandraiah of the village lost paddy in area ranging from two to five acres and all of them attribute it to poor power supply. "We have water but no power to draw it and after making investments up to Rs. 20,000 we have lost everything", Yakoob told Mr. Naidu. As he was leaving, two other paddy growers S.K. Jan and N. Abbaiah showed him three burnt motors. "I had to repair them thrice during the last one month each time paying Rs. 1,000. Power is suppled for only an hour, that too with low voltage," Mr. Jan complained.

Plea to YSR

There were complaints galore at Pasthala, Phanigiri, Thirumalagiri and Alair villages visited by Mr. Naidu. Moved by the plight of the paddy farmers, he wanted the Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues to come out of their "air conditioned comforts in the Secretariat" and see the agony of the farmers.

Mr. Naidu said when he made the charge that the Government had failed to supply adequate power to the farmers leading to drying up of thousands of acres of paddy crop, the Chief Minister made snide remarks suggesting that he was supporting "political farmers". "Let him come here and see. In Phanigiri alone, farmers lost crop in 600 acres," he said, indirectly referring to the fact that many of these villages had supported the Congress in the last elections.

Support to farmers

He declared that the party would stand behind the farmers solidly and launch demonstrations in front of electricity sub stations and Government offices to pressure the Government.

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