WARANGAL: Backward Classes welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated that neither the BRS nor the Congress were responsible for the drought in the state caused by the scant rainfall because it was a natural calamity. Pointing out how much rainfall was recorded in 2020 and 2023, he alleged that the BRS was politicising the issue to gain political mileage. Addressing a press meet held in Siddipet on Wednesday, Ponnam stated that the poor rainfall and drought were attributed to natural calamities in any region. Because of the effect of El Nino that formed in the Arabian Sea, the percentage of rainfall decreased this year. In the past, heavy rainfall of 1,091.8 mm was recorded, but it drastically fell this year. Harish Rao was talking against the reality after becoming former minister, he alleged. Had the BRS government introduced the crop insurance scheme, the farmers would not have faced losses and there would not have been farmer suicides in the state. Even though the court has given orders to pay compensation to rain-hit farmers, the then BRS government did not oblige it only to betray the farmers, criticised the transport minister. Ponnam accused the BRS government of driving the state into debt because of its thoughtless decisions. The BRS government had made Rs 7 lakh crore of debts and there is a due amount of Rs 40,000 crore to be paid by the government. The BRS government did not even pay the mess bills of hostel students in the state. The BRS government had given a report to the Centre that it had supplied pure drinking water to every household through the Mission Bhagiratha project, but in reality, there was no water supply across the state through the project. Unlike the BRS, the Congress government has taken steps to prevent the shortage of drinking water in the state, he said. In the previous BRS government, Rythu Bandhu was sanctioned up to March for rabi season, but the Congress government already deposited the crop investment aid before March to the farmers holding five acres of land, he claimed. He dared BRS leaders to ask votes from the people to whom they had distributed double bedroom houses while the Congress leaders will ask votes from those to whom Indiramma Indlu were sanctioned. On phone tapping case, the minister said it was illegal and the government definitely would take necessary action against the responsible persons. Only to cover their failure, the BRS leaders were trying to blame the Congress government. But the people were observing every move of them and will teach them a fitting lesson in the coming Lok Sabha elections, he added.
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