Revanth Reddy government yet to announce financial safeguards against El Nino

More than three weeks after likening the El Nino threat to the Covid-19 pandemic and seeking public participation to tackle the looming crisis, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is yet to announce any concrete measures to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of people. Unlike the K Chandrashekhar Rao government, which deferred the salaries of elected representatives, officials and employees during the pandemic, the Congress government has taken no measure to share the financial burden of the crisis.

The contrast is significant. In March 2020, faced with a sharp fall in revenues and mounting expenditure during the lockdown, the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao did not wait for Central assistance. Instead, he ordered the deferment of salaries and remuneration across the political and administrative establishment.

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the other hand, Revanth Reddy invoked the Covid experience to underline the seriousness of the El Nino threat and appealed for public cooperation. He has asked farmers to defer one crop, particularly Yasangi (Rabi) paddy, to conserve water and electricity. He has also sought a 60:40 financial arrangement with the Centre to support farmers who suffered crop losses and those foregoing cultivation.

Yet, the government has announced neither a comparable salary deferment nor any specific financial contribution from elected representatives and officials. It has also failed to put in place a comprehensive contingency plan to protect farmers’ incomes. Repeated reviews, a Cabinet sub-committee, the appointment of nodal officers and proposals for a war room and helpline might help monitor the situation, but do not constitute a financial relief framework.