TPCC vice president and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar demanded that the State government declare a health emergency as 541 farmers have died due to various ailments in the State since the implementation of Rythu bandhu insurance scheme from August 15.
The government had claimed that they had provided insurance coverage to 541 families of the farmers who died due to various health problems, he said and added that it was concerning to note that so many farmers, who are below 59 years have died within 15 days in the State.
Talking to newsmen here on Saturday, he asked whether Pragathi Nivedhana was a public meeting or meeting aimed to show the strength of all vehicles. He asked why the RTA officials were remaining silent when the tractors, which were meant for only agricultural operations, were taking people to participate in public meeting. He charged that the tractors were brought on to the roads only to create traffic jams and chaos.
Ridiculing the TRS leaders’ allegations that the Congress party was scared of elections, he said that the TRS, which was scared of defeat following the declining popularity, was going in for early elections. He asked why people should attend the Pragathi Nivedhana meeting when the government had failed to full the promises of providing three acres of land to dalits, double bedroom housing scheme, 12 % reservations to Muslims, 10 % reservation for tribals and other promises.
He alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had influenced the Centre for sanctioning of new zonal system only to deceive the unemployed youth on the eve of elections. If the government was committed to providing employment it should have done it as soon as the new districts were formed two years ago and issued employment notifications as per the new zonal system, he stated.
Demanding that the government to conduct Pragathi Nivedhana meetings in all the villages and mandals to show their developmental works, he called upon the people of Karimnagar district to grill the TRS leaders when they arrive with vehicles for the meeting about what the government had done to them during the last four-and-a-half years. Town Congress president Karra Rajashekhar, former Mayor D Shankar, corporator Akula Prakash and others were also present.