Bandi Sanjay Criticises Selection of Drought-Hit Mandals in Telangana

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has alleged that the selection of drought-hit mandals in Telangana was carried out without a scientific basis. He criticised the state government for excluding several mandals that recorded significant rainfall deficits and accused it of declaring drought-hit areas merely as a formality. He said the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency had suffered serious injustice in the process. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Sanjay expressed concern that even mandals with a rainfall deficit of 35 per cent had not been included in the drought-hit list.

Sanjay questioned whether the government had overlooked drought-like conditions in several mandals across the Husnabad, Vemulawada, Sircilla, Manakondur, Choppadandi and Huzurabad Assembly constituencies. He demanded that the government disclose the official data and criteria used to identify drought-hit mandals. He also urged the state government to set aside political considerations and declare drought-affected areas based on actual ground conditions. These remarks represent Sanjay’s criticism of the state government’s drought assessment process.