India witnessing 'Pani...pat' battles, TRS MP Jitender tells Lok Sabha
Hyderabad: A.P. Jitender Reddy, TRS Floor leader in the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday lamented that despite 69 years of Independence, “roti, kapada aur makan” and potable drinking water are still elusive for a large population in the country.
During a discussion in the Lok Sabha, Mr Reddy said: A “Pani...pat war is brewing and people are fighting for potable drinking water everywhere in the country. One man spends Rs 5,000 on lunch in the Taj Mahal Hotel while another doesn’t have Rs 5 to buy food to eat. One person wears a Rs 5 lakh suit while another is in torn clothes. One stays in a mahal, bungalow, another doesn’t have a roof over his head. One spends Rs 20 on Bisleri water, while there is lathicharge in Latur for water.”
Immediately, a fellow MP shot a barb saying that the suit cost Rs 10 lakh and not Rs 5 lakh, a reference to the controversial suit worn by PM Modi. To this, Mr Reddy’s rejoinder amidst laughter was: “I did not see the bill...maybe it was Rs 10 lakh.”
“Some say we are going forward. The finance minister spoke for two hours sipping glasses of water and reeled out a Rs 19 lakh crore Budget. Why is the money not reaching 130 crore people,” the TRS MP continued.
Seeking urgent measures to tide over the water crisis and poverty in the country, he said that there was a severe water crisis, leading to lathicharge in Latur in Maharashtra, Bundelkhand and other states. “2.55 lakh villages are crying for water. A hospital was closed in Jharkhand due to shortage of water,” Mr Reddy said.
