Drought in State, Natural vs Political Debate Battery

- D. Vishnumohan Rao

The issue of drought is in debate. In fact, it is in full swing compared to the snail modus movement of relief operations. On one hand, the large farming community is at stake due to short rather no rainfall in many regions of the state; on the other hand, the ruling and opposition parties of the state are exchanging a battery of questions and answers in and out of the House. While arguing and holding each other responsible for the status, it is regrettable that both the ruling and opposition parties are proving good in holding press conferences than ‘practically doing’ possible things.

This year the famine conditions are severe compared to earlier years. Earlier it was only farming community that suffered for lack of irrigation waters. But, now it is worse as people of the region are almost fighting among themselves for drinking water. This is remorse for the governments, not only todays but also yester years, as they could not plan and execute anything in advance to either check the drought or bring down its severity. They keep on promising everything above the earth and below the skies to the people, every year after state is struck by a natural calamity.

Ryots suffered a crop loss to the tune of Rs 700 crore in a stretch of over 40 lakh acres, an official statistical paper revealed. Leaving the capital city of Hyderabad, rest 22 districts are grappled by drought. A poor condition is prevailing in some villages that even drinking water is brought from miles away from homes. Farmers are selling their beloved cattle at throwaway prices to butchers

If we glance at the state government’s effort in preparing itself for executing relief operations, it was behind the Central government seeking alms for protecting its people from the famine. The response from the Union minister for Agriculture Ajit Singh was very clear. He said that the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) regulations do not permit for release of any direct funds to states like Andhra Pradesh. Anyway, the Centre can grant a prescribed quota of rice as grant to the state to meet the need of the hour he clarified.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu time and again declared that his government would chase the Centre for adequate financial assistance. Here enters Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, the main opposition in the state Assembly. He condemned the statements of the Chief Minister counter stating that Chief Minister was restricting himself becoming a paper tiger. In practicality, he could not make the Centre do anything to the welfare of the state, in these dire conditions as he did not ‘possess’ proper hold on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy ridiculed.

Under these conditions, the reaction and response of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and main Opposition Congress Party on the prevailing everything short conditions.

Impact of drought, cover of relief

With the shortage of rainfall, the state government estimated that 22 districts are strangulated with drought conditions, be it any degree of impact. Crop in 40-lakh acres stretch dried and died. Over 90% of the lakes and ponds presented their bottoms open. With steep drop in the ground water tables wells and bore wells barred farming community to draw any water for either irrigation or for domestic utilisation.

This will be the third year of such conditions where in there was no proper rainfall. The farms and landscapes, which should be glowing with lushly green conditions, went barren, though this is a rainy season. Even the farmers belonging to small and medium scale irrigation do not have any water left in their eyes to cry out. They are into valleys of debts, as the crop was continuously failing for the past two years and the drought whip is scaling their skin this year too. Private financiers, public financiers including banks are pressurising the already grunted ryots for realising their advances added with interest.

Unable to feed the family and dependants, unable to repay the loans raised hoping that the harvest would come to their rescue, the farmers’ hearts broke with the break of famine instead of water pouring down from the sky. With the increasing humiliations from the creditors and financial institutions (irrespective whether they are private or public) for collecting their dues, ryots are continuing to resort to the ultimate, suicides. No government or the rulers’ front-page banner statements came to their rescue.

A common parlance of the opposition in the state is, government is watching the dying farmers and their families keeping their fingers crossed, as they are good in press released and not in pressing into action.

Central committee on calamity comes

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu appealed to the Centre to release Rs 850 crore financial assistance to meet the need of the hour considering the severity of the calamity. Centre did not comment either in positive or in negative about the fiscal support. However, it deputed a committee to visit the state for assessing the harshness of the famine in the region. The committee submitted a final report stating the facts that the region was badly hit.

A cabinet meeting was convened by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, on receiving three personal phone calls from Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu, on the issue on September 5. The post meeting declaration of the Central government shattered all the dreams of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. The declaration said that as the norms of the NCCF does not permit; no financial aid is possible for Andhra Pradesh, which struck like a jolt to the state.

Only C R F, no NCCF to Andhra, clarifies Ajit Singh

“As Andhra Pradesh is entitled for a grant of Rs 207 crore from Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) there was no possibility for releasing any additional funds to Andhra from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF)” was the straight cut answer from the Union Minister for Agriculture Ajit Singh. This left no choice to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to keep any hopes further.

As a blessing in disguise, the Union Minister said that the 11th Finance Commission recommended for sanction of Rs 207 crore to Andhra. Sums of Rs 77 crore were already released. Second instalment of Rs 77.89 crore is due after November 2001, to take the fact. However, the Central government consented to release the second instalment little in advance considering the calamity conditions of the state. This was decided by the Centre on September 7, he clarified.

YSR asks, King maker Babu off the NDA knight saddle?

Congress Legislature Party leader Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in his native fashion commented that, “King maker Chandra Babu Naidu at least now do you realise that you lost hold on the NDA government. Your statesmanship to get assistance will not help the state.”

The self-styling as king maker and an influenced man over the Centre, if it is true, should be helpful to the people of the state, he added. If the king makership is brushed aside, as a Chief Minister Naidu is responsible for bringing funds. It is a shameful situation for a person in the position of a head of the state government that he is still restricting himself to press statements that he would strive for the benefit of the people. When will he be able to succeed, after the state turned into largest graveyard of the country? Such was the intensity of the opposition leader’s comments on the state government in the issue.

Referring to the neighbouring Karnataka state, Dr Y S R said, its Chief Minister S M Krishna was able to ‘make’ the Centre release all the required funds with out moving an inch from his chair or the state. He questioned, that being the case, what for is the king makership for Naidu useful?

Naidu reiterates, “I will get Centre’s assistance to state!”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandra Babu Naidu reiterated that he would “launch an untiring fight on the Central government on this issue. The Centre released three lakh tonnes of rice to the state because of the pressure brought over the NDA government. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is responding favourably. I am hopeful that further more assistance would be realised by the state.”

Analysts and observers state, taking the Centre’s statement after the cabinet meeting in to consideration, that Andhra Pradesh is left with no options to realise any further assistance from the Centre. A small sigh of relief came from the farming community of the state, with the Chief Minister’s statement that collection of loan dues and power bills are postponed, for now.

It is time for the state government to wake up the snoring bureaucracy from its deep sleep. It should keep the interests of the common people including those of farmers. Digging Ponds and lakes afresh wherever there is a need, de-silting the existing ones and extending fresh loans aloof of the pending ones, according to the promises of the Chief Minister if comes out practically, will be helpful to the state as a whole.

Undisputedly, it is to be admitted by the state government and its caretakers that negligence was the reason for the severity of the drought.

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