Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday announced that a special scheme would be introduced after Sankranti and implemented for four months till May to provide daily employment to the poor and workers.In addition to funds received from the Centre, the state govt will allocate substantial resources for the scheme. During a meeting at Praja Bhavan with ministers, MPs, MLCs and MLAs on measures to tackle El Nino-related challenges, the CM directed all public representatives to visit villages.“We will monitor your visits through a special app installed on your mobile phones. This initiative should be used to restore access roads to agricultural fields, canals, ponds and other minor water bodies. We must provide work to every individual and ensure nobody goes hungry. The scheme should be meticulously designed and implemented. ‘Kalajathas’ (cultural troupes) should be organised to motivate farmers. A help desk should be set up at Gandhi Bhavan under the leadership of MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy,” Revanth Reddy said.He said the govt had a responsibility to disclose the ground reality so that people could prepare for the crisis. Public representatives should educate farmers through Rythu Vedikas about drought conditions and inform them that reservoirs currently have only 20% of the usable water reserved for drinking purposes. No water would be released for irrigation during the Rabi season, he said.The CM appealed to farmers to cultivate crops and vegetables requiring minimal water. Warning that drought conditions could persist for the next eight to 10 months, up to July 2027. Available water in reservoirs was less than 200 TMC, making irrigation unviable and leaving drinking water as the priority, he added.To support livestock, special centres would be established in villages to provide fodder and drinking water. Additional employment would also be generated under the rural employment guarantee scheme.Revanth Reddy said drinking water scarcity could emerge as an even bigger challenge than irrigation shortages. “We cannot tackle this drought without alerting the public and making them partners in our efforts,” he said.The govt has appointed K Ramakrishna Rao as a special officer to address El Nino-related issues and counter misinformation.Describing El Niño as a natural crisis, the CM said the government had completed the Kharif season without an irrigation crisis. “We will ensure protection of Kharif crops and facilitate their procurement. Last season, we announced a bonus for the cultivation of seven varieties of fine paddy,” he said while criticising BRS leader T Harish Rao’s remarks regarding the bonus.Referring to rising energy demand, Revanth said the govt had managed power requirements despite shortages in the market. “The govt is prepared to buy electricity at any cost, but power is not available. We even explored bank loans to procure electricity,” he said, urging people to use power judiciously.The CM also targeted T Harish Rao for allegedly spreading misinformation and cautioned farmers against being misled by BRS leaders into sowing crops that could lead to further losses.Calling upon party leaders to counter what he termed false propaganda, Revanth alleged, “KTR and Harish Rao have attempted to tarnish our reputation. KCR was devising plans from his farmhouse, and KTR and Harish were executing them.
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