Opt for crops needing less water, power: CM K Chandrasekhar Rao

Hyderabad: Accusing the Centre of resorting to a “witch hunt” against Telangana on the power issue, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday urged farmers to opt for alternative crops which consume less water and power in the wake of deficit rainfall and severe power shortage and requested farmers to cooperate with the government.

Mr Rao said despite all odds the government was taking all measures to overcome  the power crisis by purchasing power from the open market at high costs besides exploring all the other options in a bid to save  the kharif crops.

Mr Rao will visit Chhattisgarh on Sunday to sign an MoU with that government for supply of 1,000 MW of power to TS.

“We are not in a position to supply the required power to farmers due to severe power crisis. Keeping this in mind, the farmers should not opt for paddy in rabi season. Instead, they should look at alternative crops which consume less water, thereby resulting in less use of power for borewells,” Mr Rao said, while reviewing the power issue with senior officials at the Secretariat.

Mr Rao said the Centre, which should have come to the rescue of Telangana after AP denied the state its 54 per cent share of power in violation of AP  Reorganisation Act, has remained a mute spectator despite several reminders.

“The Centre has not been cooperating with us. They are resorting to witch hunting tactics against Telangana. To overcome power shortage, we are generating power from Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar. AP has been creating one obstacle or the other to stop generation of power,” the Chief Minister alleged.

Mr Rao assured famers that the power problem in Telangana would be completely resolved in the next three years, and for that the government has devised short-term and long-term plans.