Hyderabad: Ten youths from Godavarikhani cycled about 400 km in eight days from Medigadda in the Kaleshwaram project to Kondapochammasagar. They met BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) at his Erravalli residence on Wednesday and briefed him on the cycle yatra. The youths said they want KCR to become Chief Minister again, so that the state can resolve its irrigation problems and farmers’ fields can turn green once more.
Boddu Ravinder, a former corporator and BRS town president from Godavarikhani, and Uppu Rajkumar led the group. The youths toured rural areas along the route. They said they saw crops drying up for lack of irrigation water and electricity, and learned about the hardships of farmers firsthand.
The youths told KCR that their route ran along the Kaleshwaram canals and crop fields.
They recalled that Telangana’s agriculture sector suffered badly from a lack of irrigation water during the joint rule. They said it became like a festival after irrigation projects were built during KCR’s ten-year rule. They blamed the Congress government’s negligence for the present situation, in which crops that once grew golden are drying up.
The youths said they saw dry boreholes, a shortage of irrigation water and crop damage caused by electricity problems. They showed KCR dried paddy husks to highlight the plight of farmers. They also said people feel the Congress government’s anti-farmer policies are hurting not only agriculture but other sectors in Telangana.
The youths said people want KCR to return as Chief Minister if Telangana agriculture is to recover. They said farmers, women and common people from various professions and castes shared their problems and opinions during the trip. According to the youths, people feel deep dissatisfaction with the Congress government and anger over the policies of Revanth Reddy, which they called anti-farmer. They said they undertook the trip with farmer suicides, irrigation difficulties and drying crops in mind.
KCR receives Godavari water collected during yatra
The youths handed over Godavari water that they collected during the yatra to KCR. KCR congratulated the team and wished them well for understanding the people’s problems and bringing their aspirations to his attention. He made it clear that the opinions and aspirations of the people will be fulfilled.
Kasipaka Vasu, Arepalli Sarish, Mekala Naveen Kumar, Paripalli Anil Kumar, Gundevena Srinivas Yadav, Manchinilla Rakesh, Mutyam Lakshman Goud, Ammu Kumar and others also took part in the yatra.