No Drinking Water In Mahbubnagar: TDP

Telugu Desam Party MLA Ramulu has threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike if the state government fails to provide adequate drinking water to Mahbubnagar district.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the state Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Ramulu said that the district has a rainfall deficit of almost 77%. Further, the ground-water levels, too, have drastically gone down, he complained.

He said that the district's leaders have made a representation to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in this regard, and that no action has been taken to resolve the problem.

Demanding Rs. 5 crore for each mandal in the district, Ramulu warned that he would undertake an indefinite fast if the government fails to respond to his request.

PRP MLA Vanga Geetha drew the attention of the House on the condition of roads caused due to Cyclone Laila. She said that several bridges were damaged due to the cyclone, but that the roads and bridges were yet to be repaired.

CPI floor leader G Mallesh asked the government to consider the formation of smaller districts for better administration. He said that several districts in the state were large in size, and that therefore, they were not being administered properly.

CPM floor leader J Ranga Reddy wanted the government to take immediate steps to provide relief to drought-hit areas where the ground-water levels have gone down. He feared that with the onset of summer, the situation in those areas would worsen further.

BJP MLA G Kishan Reddy asked the government to scrap the Teachers' Eligibility Test and restore the old system of B. Ed and D. Ed exams for the recruitment of teachers.

Lok Satta MLA Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, TDP MLAs Abdul Ghani and R Chandrasekhar Reddy, nominated MLA Christne Lazares, and Congress MLA Madhusudhan Gupta also raised issues during Zero Hour.

Replying on behalf of the state government, Major Industries Minister Dr. J Geetha Reddy assured the MLAs that she would refer the issues to the ministers concerned. (INN)