HYDERABAD: Refuting the allegations made by former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao that crops withered in 20 lakh acres across the state due to water scarcity, TS Planning Board vice-chairman G Chinna Reddy said that crops dried up in only two lakh acres.
Addressing a meeting for Agriculture officers on Sunday, Chinna Reddy explained that the crops suffered due to insufficient rainfall and the failure to recharge groundwater. He criticised BRS leaders, including KCR and former minister T Harish Rao, for spreading misinformation about the extent of crop losses. He asserted that while farmers in the state remained confident in the government’s support, politically inactive figures like KCR and Harish Rao were exaggerating the situation.
He questioned whether the BRS leaders could not comprehend the effects of dry spells on agriculture. Chinna Reddy assured that the state government would develop comprehensive plans for the advancement of agriculture and allied sectors. These plans would include studies on implementing education, irrigation, floriculture, and skill development at the village-level. Once the study reports are available, the plans would be executed across all villages, he added.