HYDERABAD

CPI (M) Politburo member B.V. Raghavulu has demanded immediate relief for farmers who have suffered heavy crop losses due to drought conditions caused by the El Nino effect. He urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and all Cabinet ministers to visit affected areas and assess the ground reality.

After inspecting drought-hit paddy and cotton fields in Cherlapalli village of Nalgonda district on Thursday, Mr. Raghavulu said farmers were facing severe distress as crops had dried up after substantial investments. He noted that paddy fields were particularly affected, with some crops completely withering and producing little or no grain, leaving farmers with no return on their investment.

He also expressed concern over the condition of cotton crops, stating that although fields appeared green, moisture stress had severely affected growth and cotton balls were drying up and falling off. If rains failed to arrive within a week, further losses were likely, he warned.

Mr. Raghavulu said discussions in Cabinet meetings alone would not reveal the extent of the crisis and called on ministers to conduct field visits. Pointing out that hundreds of mandals were reportedly facing drought conditions, he urged the government to announce immediate relief measures and compensation for affected farmers.

The CPI(M) leader also called for an all-party meeting to press the Centre for drought-relief funds and sought urgent action to protect farmers from further economic hardship. He described the situation as an emergency requiring immediate government intervention.