The erratic weather and an indifferent government are keeping the opposition parties busy.
After a brief lull, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Telugu Desam, YSR Congress, CPI and CPM have suddenly become hyperactive, thanks to power cuts, farmers’ issues, and the controversy over medical seats, among others.
While TRS activists staged road blockades and took out rallies across Tela-ngana region on Monday to protest the massive power cuts in rural areas, the TD launched a three-day agitation against outages and farmers' issues.
Besides the erratic monsoon, the government is at the receiving end due to a delay in supply of seeds and fertilisers, massive power cuts effected for both farm and domestic sectors in the Kharif season, a refusal to raise the number of seats in Telangana medical colleges, the controversy over release of water from Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam dam for Delta areas, and several other issues.
“The government's lack of foresight and failure to purchase power in advance has led to the present situation that has hit both farmers and small-scale industries. Several areas in Telangana are reeling under drought-like conditions,” TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
TRS politburo member B. Vinod Kumar, meanwhile, asked the government to take immediate steps to increase seats in Gandhi Hospital, and make it at par with other institutions.
Fresh from the debacle in the byelections, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has also taken up series of measures to rejuvenate the party, including a BC declaration and agitations agai-nst the government's “failure” on several grounds.
“This incompetent government is making the people suffer, and a lack of foresight has resulted in the ongoing power crisis,” TD politburo member K. Yerrannaidu said.
Meanwhile, the YSR Con-gress organised a 'Maha Dharna' in support of far-mers and to protest against power cuts at Pulivendla in Kadapa district on Monday.
Leading the dharna, party honorary president Y.S. Vijayalakshmi accused the government of failing to address farmers’ issues.
“Fed up of government negligence, many farmers are bidding goodbye to agriculture. The government should provide water to farmers from Chiravathi,” she said.
Ms Vijayalakshmi who is also planning to take up weavers issue in Sircilla in Karimnagar district, exuded confidence that party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy would come out of jail and take up farmers' problems.
Meanwhile, CPI secretary K. Narayana and CPM leader B.V. Raghavulu urged the government to bear the surcharge on power tariff for the farm sector and ensure free power to agriculturalists.