Telangana’s drought preparedness meeting ended without a clear compensation assurance for farmers, opposition leaders said after an all-party discussion at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting focused on the El Nino-linked drought situation, crop losses during the kharif season and support for farmers considering cultivation in the upcoming Yasangi season.
Leaders from the BRS and BJP said the government had not provided satisfactory answers to their questions or outlined a firm action plan. BRS leaders demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for farmers affected by the drought.
Former agriculture minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said the Opposition had told the government that it lacked foresight in dealing with the drought. He said the BRS had also sought clarity on whether financial assistance would be provided under the relevant scheme for the Yasangi season.
“We told the government it lacked the foresight to tackle the drought,” Niranjan Reddy said after the meeting. He added that the BRS would support the government if it took appropriate measures to mitigate the drought and assist affected people, but would wait for the government’s action plan before commenting further.
BJP legislature party leader Aleti Maheshwar Reddy also criticised the government’s response. He said there had been no assurance on compensation for farmers who lost their kharif crops, or on support for the Yasangi season after the government advised farmers against cultivating crops.
Maheshwar Reddy said other states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, had already allocated funds for people affected by drought and questioned why Telangana had not announced similar assistance. His remarks represented the BJP’s position after the meeting; the report did not include a detailed response from the state government to the Opposition’s allegations.
The meeting brought together the Telangana Farmers’ Commission chairman M. Kodanda Reddy and representatives of several political parties. Those attending included BRS leaders B. Vinod Kumar, L. Ramana and Singireddy Niranjan Reddy; BJP leaders Aleti Maheshwar Reddy and M. Komuraiah; AIMIM leaders Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi; CPI leaders Palla Venkat Reddy and Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao; CPM leader John Wesley; and Telangana Jana Samithi leader Prof. M. Kodandaram. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, RJD, BSP and Aam Aadmi Party also participated.
The meeting’s immediate focus was on the state’s response to drought conditions and the financial decisions facing farmers after crop losses and cultivation advisories. The next key step is the Telangana government’s action plan, including whether it will announce compensation for kharif losses or financial assistance linked to the Yasangi season.
