BJP demands white paper on drought

Hyderabad: BJP on Tuesday demanded that the State government release a white paper on the prevailing drought conditions due to rainfall deficit in the State and measures taken by the government to deal with the situation.

Addressing the media, senior BJP leader N Indrasena Reddy said reports indicated that farmers are in distress due to deficit rainfall adversely affecting the germination of seeds.

In some areas, seedlings are dying due to the deficit rainfall. However, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao seemed not concered about holding a review of the current situation and take alternative measures to save the crops and the farmers, he added.

He demanded that the Chief Minister release a whitepaper on the number of districts which are in the grip of drought-like conditions in the State and the steps taken by the State government to overcome the situation.

He further said the government was not concerned about the woes of students, unemployed, women, farmers and others and throwing governance to the winds.

This is resulting in the law and order situation deteriorating in the State with the growing number of crimes continuing to shake the morale of the people of the State, he pointed out.

The BJP leader also took objection to the senior bureaucrats in the State government attending review meetings called by TRS working president and MLA K T Rama Rao. He said an MLA can hold a review meeting with the officials in his constituency to take stock of various issues.

But, "calling IAS officials of the Principal Secretary rank, Water Board, GHMC and other government departments for review meetings is beyond the preview of an MLA," he said.

"It would be unbecoming on the part of such senior officials to attend the review meetings of an MLA just he happened to be the son of the Chief Minister."