Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Saturday criticised chief minister A Revanth Reddy for frequently visiting New Delhi instead of addressing worsening drought conditions in Telangana.Reddy said farmers were awaiting relief measures from state govt after Telangana recorded a 17% rainfall deficit across several mandals. He alleged that 18 of the state’s 33 districts ended the season with deficient rainfall and preliminary govt assessments identified more than 300 mandals as facing severe drought.Tanks were drying up, groundwater levels were falling and crops were under stress, forcing farmers to spend more on pumping groundwater, he said. The deficit had also increased pressure on power supplies, agriculture and drinking-water sources.Reddy alleged that Congress govt delayed preparing an action plan despite scientists warning about El Nino’s impact. He had earlier urged state govt to maximise water storage and use available Godavari flows to protect Telangana from prolonged water stress.He said state govt was seeking a ₹20,000-crore special package from Centre and preparing further assessments, but farmers needed immediate state measures.Reddy demanded finalisation of drought-hit mandals, a time-bound relief package, crop-loss assessments, stronger drinking-water arrangements, maximum storage in reservoirs and tanks, and a power-management strategy.“Seeking assistance from the Centre is perfectly legitimate, and the Centre should help wherever assistance is due. But a chief minister cannot outsource his own govt’s responsibility to Delhi. Before asking what Delhi will give, he must tell Telangana what his govt has already done,” Narayana Reddy said.
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