BJP, TRS trade barbs over fluoride issue

Hyderabad: Major political party leaders in the state indulged in blame game on the decades-old problem of fluoride in Nalgonda district during the Dasha Disha program conducted by HMTV on Sunday.

In the wake of Munugodu Assembly constituency by-election, HMTV organised Dasha Disha programme at Choutuppal on Sunday. It was attended by leaders from TRS, BJP and Congress and voluntary organisations.

Speaking at the occasion, TRS MLA G Kishore said that it was the Central government which said in Parliament that fluoride problem in Munugodu was solved by the piped drinking water through the Mission Bhagiratha programme implemented by the state government. He alleged that the Centre had cancelled the setting up of Fluoride Research Centre in Telangana and shifted it elsewhere. Had there been a research centre, there would have emerged a clear picture on the effect of fluoride in vegetables and even in mother's milk, said Kishore. He also alleged that because of the delay in giving clearance, the state government could not complete the Dindi irrigation project. He said that the state government sanctioned an industrial park in the district to provide employment to the youth.

BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao said that the chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao who said he would ensure the project would be completed by having a chair, failed to live up to his words. He said that the development in the state was because of funds from the Centre. He said that any issue can be solved by applying online. The BJP had been focusing here because there is no development, said Rao.

Duscharla Satyanarayana, who is fighting for the cause, said that both the Central and the State governments were deceiving the people. He said that not only the bones but also other parts of the body were also getting affected because of fluoride; even the crops were having strains. Both governments should work together to find a solution, he pleaded.

Congress leader Sircilla Rajaiah said that both TRS and BJP had been ruling for the last eight years but they were still blaming each other for the issue, without joining forces to solve the issue.

They were busy purchasing MLAs, he alleged.