Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu made it clear that his party was in favour of construction of Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project.
Addressing the executive meeting of party's farmers’ wing at NTR Trust Bhavan here on Saturday, Naidu said that the TDP wants the Polavaram project to be completed as planned. He said the party was also in favour of Chevella-Pranihita project. However, he demanded that the government must provide a suitable relief and rehabilitation package to all the affected and displaced people.
Asked the Centre to announce these irrigation projects as national projects, the TDP president said that his party would continue struggle till the construction of both the projects.
Naidu accused the State Government of ignoring the welfare of farmers. He claimed that while the TDP was in power it effectively handled the drought situation. There were no powers and the supply to agriculture sector was interrupted, he said.
The TDP chief said that the TDP government also gave good MSPs for the produce of all farmers. The farmers were taken care of by giving special packages, he said while accusing both State and Centre of complete ignoring the farmers' pathetic conditions. He asked as to why the government was averse to implement the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission for the welfare of farmers in the State.
Speaking about the alleged irregularities in the Polavaram issue, Naidu alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao was a beneficiary. He claimed that KCR's got benefits by ensuring Polavaram project contracts to his SEW Infra which also invested in the TRS mouthpiece 'Namasthe Telangaana' vernacular daily. He said entire manipulations were done by the Chief Minister's Office and Kiran Kumar Reddy himself was involved in the scam.
Naidu refuted the allegations that he accumulated wealth through illegal means. He asked his critics to prove the allegations with substantial evidence. He also offered to give power of attorney to his critics if they were ready to prove that he owns properties in foreign countries.
The TDP chief also sought support for the 'Rythu Poru', the padyatra aimed at highlighting the farmers' issues, scheduled to be launched on November 2. Stating that the 'Rythu Poru' would be held across the State, except Hyderabad, he asked the TDP workers to make the programme a success.