Anjaneyagoud Accuses Congress Government of Neglecting Palamuru Farmers

Former Telangana State Sports Authority chairman Dr Anjaneyagoud has accused the Congress government of putting the interests of farmers in erstwhile Palamuru at stake for political considerations, alleging that Krishna river water was being released to Andhra Pradesh while irrigation reservoirs in the region were being left depleted.

Anjaneyagoud alleged that the Congress government had adopted a negligent approach towards irrigation water management during its two-and-a-half years in power. He claimed that projects constructed by the previous government in erstwhile Palamuru with a combined storage capacity of around 50 TMC had been allowed to remain largely empty, depriving farmers of water needed for cultivation.

He further alleged that reservoirs dependent on the Jurala project were being depleted while the government was attempting to divert water towards the Kuppam region. According to him, the government had failed to adequately fill the reservoirs already available for irrigation but was making announcements about increasing the storage capacity of the Ryalampadu and Gudemdoddi reservoirs.

Questioning the government’s handling of the situation, Anjaneyagoud said farmers had been forced to protest as their crops faced the threat of drying up. He condemned the deployment of a large number of police personnel around Jurala and alleged that the administration was attempting to suppress the farmers’ agitation instead of addressing their concerns.

Anjaneyagoud demanded that ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari step down, holding them responsible for the police action and alleged lathi-charge against protesting farmers. He also condemned the arrest of BRS leaders who had extended their support to the farmers’ agitation.

He claimed that farmers in several villages were expressing their anger against the Congress government by organising symbolic funeral processions for the party’s hand symbol, reflecting their opposition to the government’s irrigation policies.

The BRS leader said the party would continue its agitation until justice was delivered to farmers in the region. He also announced that, with the approval of party president K Chandrashekar Rao and working president KT Rama Rao, the BRS would soon organise a large-scale ‘Palle Pidikili Poru Sabha’ in Gadwal.

The proposed meeting, he said, would focus on irrigation-related concerns and mobilise farmers on a larger scale over the issues surrounding Jurala and the region’s water supply.