Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded a judicial inquiry into the “human error” behind the projects and improper maintenance of the tanks that led to the Rayalaseema-Nellore floods in which over 60 people died .
Calling the deaths “government killings”, Naidu criticized the state government for playing a dangerous game with nature, resulting in widespread destruction. He also said that at least Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia should be paid to the next of kin of the deceased.
Naidu accused the YSRCP government of “non-preparedness” and said there should be a thorough investigation into the poor quality works in Annamayya, Pincha, Kalyani and other projects. The Thummalgunta tank was wrongly converted into a cricket stadium. Hence, the floods had no natural exit from the upper water bodies and eventually caused devastation in MR Palli, Autonagar and such areas, he pointed out.
Even a week after the floods, the government failed to restore normalcy in the flooded areas. Six villages in Cuddapah district are still cut off from the rest.
Naidu asked the government why it failed to give confidence to the family of Subba Rao, who was swept away by the floods in Lakshmipuram circle. His wife was lying on the bed and there was no one to bring her dead body. “The gates of the Annamayya project could not be removed as they were stuck. In the last two and a half years, no funds were given for the repair of the gates. No effort was made to pump out the flood water from Rayalacheruvu tank.
The TDP chief objected to the manner in which the Andhra Pradesh government sought central funds without spending the required state money on relief and restoration. “It was shameful that initially only Rs 4 crore was released. The state government should have released at least Rs 100 crore of work and then claimed the central share under the disaster relief fund.
Naidu said the “inexperience” of the YSRCP regime has become “a curse for the people of Andhra Pradesh”. The state government has not released the minimum required amount but has sought Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre. It has estimated a loss of Rs 6,000 crore without initiating necessary relief activities. “Even the helicopters, which should have been used to dump food and relief material in the flooded areas, were being misused for private visits and photo sessions.”
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