Tadepalli, Oct 2 — Former minister Kurasala Kannababu and YSRCP State General Secretary Gadikota Srikanth Reddy on Friday alleged that the coalition government had abandoned drought-hit farmers in Rayalaseema while spending heavily on publicity under the banner of “Rising Rayalaseema” and the proposed Rs 1 lakh crore horticulture hub.
Kannababu alleged that the government delayed the declaration of drought despite conditions becoming severe much earlier and described the Madanapalle horticulture programme as another event-management exercise.
He said the 2026-27 Budget allocated only Rs 1,123 crore to the Horticulture Department and just Rs 200 crore for the proposed hub.
He also claimed that there was no clarity on private investors, the proposed Rs 60,000 crore private investment or the claimed World Bank funding.
Kannababu compared the announcement with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s earlier publicity surrounding projects such as Hyperloop, bullet trains, seaplanes, Airbus, Lockheed, Alibaba data centres and other proposals that, according to him, failed to materialise.
He said Rayalaseema was facing severe drought, with 186 of the 388 drought-declared mandals located in the region and 159 of the 283 severely drought-affected mandals also situated there.
According to Kannababu, rainfall deficits between June and September stood at 63.1 per cent in Annamayya district, 56.6 per cent in Sri Sathya Sai district, 47.3 per cent in Chittoor district, 46 per cent in YSR Kadapa district, 42 per cent in Kurnool district and 42.2 per cent in Nandyal district.
He alleged that nearly seven lakh borewells had dried up by August, while mango and citrus orchards were withering and farmers were relying on tankers to save plantations.
Srikanth Reddy alleged that the government had no contingency plan despite severe rainfall deficits and widespread crop distress.
He claimed that tomato prices had fallen to Rs 30-Rs 40 per 15-kg box, while chilli, onion, banana, citrus and mango growers were also struggling due to non-remunerative prices.
He alleged that farmers were drilling borewells up to 800 feet without finding water and that crop insurance, input subsidy and fodder support had been neglected.
The YSRCP leaders demanded an immediate reassessment of drought-hit mandals, rescheduling of crop loans, restoration of free crop insurance, input subsidy, fodder support, compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre for damaged crops and Rs 15,000 per acre for unsown land.
They said the government should stop publicity-driven events and immediately announce a comprehensive drought-relief programme for Rayalaseema farmers.
Meanwhile, former minister Sake Sailajanath accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of misleading Rayalaseema farmers over the proposed Horticulture Hub.
He alleged that crops were drying up while the government was engaged in celebrations and claimed that the proposed Rs 1 lakh crore Horticulture Hub had no budgetary allocation.
Sailajanath further alleged that the project could result in the transfer of farmers’ land to corporate entities and reduce farmers to labourers on their own land.