November 18, Kovelakuntla

The yatra began today from Dornipadu at 8 AM. I came back to Dornipadu late in the night after attending the court in Hyderabad. At Kampamallametta, DWCRA women met me. They told me how they were done in by Chandrababu’s DWCRA loan-waiver mirage. I could clearly see the simmering anger and despair in their eyes. They clearly had not bargained for this betrayal by Chandrababu. For women, family and children is their raison d’etre. Naturally, they were distressed by Chandrababu’s ruse. Pain and despair is writ large on their faces.

The women are also sore about the liquor menace destroying their lives. Kalle Subbamma of Kishtapadu is seriously ill. Her alcoholic husband does not take care of her. There’s none to take care of her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said that she has lost the will to live. I felt an ache deep inside on seeing her plight. For Chandrababu, liquor is a source of revenue. But, the sale of liquor is nothing but trading with the flesh and blood of the poorest of the poor.

There are lakhs of families which are staring at utter depravity and decimation due to the liquor menace. No good can accrue to the state from this revenue source which makes women cry. All that it can do or achieve is to destroy the social fabric beyond repair. The government might get to benefit, but the commoners stand to lose and heavily at that. I assured her that her tears would be wiped and her prayers answered when a people’s government gets formed in the state. Prohibition is a historic necessity.

En route, farmers from Kovelakuntla and Chagalamarri met me. They wanted that the construction of Rajoli and Joladarasi reservoirs be expedited so that the command area stabilization of KC Canal, the lifeline for Rayalaseema farmers, becomes a reality. I recall that my father had known the importance of these two projects and had sanctioned Rs 407 crores way back in 2008. When completed, these two projects can help water release as per schedule and expand the area under cultivation. But, his untimely death sounded the death knell for this project. It’s been eight years and there’s been no progress at all.

Today, groundnut farmers met me. They would benefit only if the price is around Rs 8000 per quintal. But, the present rate is not even Rs 4000. There aren’t many buyers for their produce. The farmers are of the firm opinion that completion of the projects and remunerative prices are possible only when the Rajanna Rajyam becomes a reality.

In the end, I have a poser for Chandrababu. You had promised in your manifesto to sign on an order banishing all belt shops in the state. Did you close down even a single belt shop in the state during the last three-and-a-half years? Is it not a fact that you had changed the nomenclature of the belt shops into affiliate shops and in effect, have only increased the number of such shops? Weren’t you the one who had put in place the obnoxious ‘delivery on call’ facility to provide liquor at the doorstep? What is important for you – Profits from liquor sales or public well-being and health?