CPI presses for drought relief works

Visakhapatnam: CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna criticised Chief Minister N.  Chan-drababu Naidu and Opposition leader Y.S.  Jaganmohan Reddy saying the former lures MLAs with money and the latter with coercive methods. He had also questioned Jagan’s silence over crossovers in Telangana. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the CPI leader also said that in response to the call given by the National Council of CPI, the state unit would organise dharnas all over the state and distribute pamphlets to the people on May 5 to pressurise the government to take up drought relief works on war-footing.

He slammed the government saying that a meagre Rs 39 crore has been sanctioned for taking up drought relief measures for all the 13 districts. “Nothing much can be done with Rs 3 crore for each district which comes to Rs 8 per person,” he said. He said while both the Telugu speaking states were reeling under drought conditions, the chief ministers are indulging in horse-trading which was never heard in the history. Mr Ramakrisha said that Mr Chandrababu Naidu went a step ahead and did the trading on auspicious day of  Ugadi and even on his birthday.

On the ongoing demand for separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh with Vizag as the headquarters, the CPI leader said the local MP should shoulder the responsibility of getting the zone from his party leaders or resign to his Parliament seat. He said the PCB authorities should invite the people and other stakeholders for the environment clinic planned on April 28, instead of  the industrialists who are responsible for  pollution in the city. The Left parties leaders felt that the chief minister should focus on drought relief works immediately.