Fasting Chandrabau Naidu?s condition deteriorates
Hyderabad : Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrabau Naidu?s health condition deteriorated as his indefinite fast demanding better relief package for cyclonic rain-affected farmers of Andhra Pradesh entered the seventh day on Thursday.
Naidu?s blood pressure and blood sugar levels have shot up, said doctors, who are attending him at Nizam?s Institute of Medical Scineces (NIMS) here.
A panel of expert doctors monitoring Chandrabau Naidu?s condition has been trying in vain to forcibly feed the former chief minister at least liquid.
Naidu?s close associates and family members have also reportedly tried to convince him to take liquid food, but the leader refused.
As he resisted efforts to shift him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the doctors have decided to convert his room into an ICU.
Meanwhile, the TDP continued its protests against the state government and held rallies and took out processions at various locations.
Naidu was arrested and admitted to NIMS on Monday after his health condition deteriorated from the fasting.
The TDP supremo had been on hunger strike since Dec 17 demanding adequate compensation to the farmers, who had lost crops in recent natural calamity.
On Dec 16, the Andhra Pradesh government had increased subsidy to Rs 6000 from Rs. 4500 per hectare to farmers, who lost their crops in the recent rains.
The government had also announced waiver of interest on farm loans disbursed this season, resulting in a relief of Rs. 350 crore to distressed farmers.
Announcing these measures in the Assembly, Chief Minister Kiran Reddy said the hike in input subsidy would provide relief to farmers who lost crops like paddy, sugarcane and cotton in over 10 lakh hectares of land.
All these measures did not satisfy the main opposition TDP, which demanded the government grant an input subsidy of Rs. 10,000 per acre since the loss was “colossal”.
Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced Rs 400 crore as immediate relief to the cyclonic rains-affected farmers of Andhra Pradesh.
A delegation comprising various Members of Parliament from the state met Singh and apprised him of the losses incurred by farmers in various regions of AP that suffered cyclonic rains recently.
Kiran Reddy had also met the PM a few days ago discussed the plight of the farmers in the state.