Vijayawada: Senior YSR Congress party leader and party spokesman criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu for being preoccupied with his political engagements at a time when Cyclone Phethai was wreaking havoc across the coastal region of the state. Speaking to media persons at the party office here, he demanded that the AP government suggest ways of overcoming this crisis to farmers. He also demanded that the farming community be suitably compensated in a transparent manner.

Parthasarathi reminded media persons that for the past 2-3 days, government officials had been alerting people in vulnerable areas about the impending danger of Cyclone Phethai. He added that 35 lakh hectares plus of paddy cultivated in the kharif season across the affected region could be impacted. While 48 lakh tons of grain should be purchased, only 10 lakh tons were bought, he said.

The senior YSRCP leader pointed out that in many places crop had not yet been harvested spreading over lakhs of acres. Parthasarathi flayed Chandrababu Naidu for abandoning farmers in this state of crisis and going about shamefully to other states, be it in Chennai yesterday, in MP today and in Rajasthan tomorrow. Instead of sitting in the state secretariat and monitoring the situation on a round the clock basis, he has left the farmers and civilian population to fend for themselves in an hour of crisis. It appears that for Chandrababu,

politicking is more important than standing by farmers at such a time. One wonders if a chief minister who should be preoccupied with the devastation caused by Phethai, and is instead going about attending swearing-in ceremonies in other states, is fit to rule!

TV channels and newspapers had been cautioning the people of the affected areas about the intensity of Phethai and officers were recalled, while leaves of others were cancelled. Similarly, buses and trains were cancelled, but the CM does not seem to know the scale of the emergency, the YSRCP leader observed.

Parthasarathi remarked that Chandrababu Naidu

doesn't work when there is a cyclone and does not allow officers to work after the cyclone when relief works are to be undertaken. His behaviour is predictable. While, shirking away from his own responsibilities, he will soon blame the Centre saying it did not help the state with cyclone relief. He will also brag that he has conquered Phethai and his cabinet colleagues will also make similar claims.

The YSRCP spokesman said that it was unfortunate that not one minister, be it agriculture, revenue or any other key minister was present to review the situation.

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