Vijayawada: CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna came down heavily on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan alleging that the two leaders were neglecting the Rayalaseema region particularly the Kurnool district on drinking water scarcity problem.

He said people of Adoni, Mantrayalam, Pattikonda, Aluru and Emmiganuru Assembly constituencies of Kurnool disrict were facing many hardships due to lack of drinking water. He said Aspari region of Aluru Assembly constituency is the worst-affected region. “ Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is always talking about the mega projects like Polavaram and he is not thinking about the drinking water problem being faced by the people in rural areas,” he pointed out. He said the Chief Minister was talking about the Godavari-Banakacharla project and felt it is incorrect to talk about the project without solving the drinking water problems of rural people in Rayalaseema region. Speaking to the media at the State party office on Sunday, Ramakrishna said the BBC has broadcast a documentay recently on the water scarcity problem in Rayalaseema region. He said neither CM nor Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan were bothered about the solving the drinking water problem in Rayalaseema region. He said Pawan Kalyan holds the portfolio of Panchayat Raj also. Ramakrishna criticised Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan for talking about Sanatana Dharma and going to other States to participate in the programmes but not thinking about the plight of the people in Rayalaseema region.