Naidu urged for welfare funding and crop diversification in Chittoor, Annamayya districts

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday highlighted the twin priorities of ensuring timely fund flow for SC/ST Sub-Plan works and galvanizing horticulture cultivation in the drought-hit districts of Chittoor and Annamayya, as Collectors presented the field-level challenges at the ongoing Collectors’ conference in Velagapudi. Chittoor District Collector Sumit Kumar urged the State government to release SC/ST Sub-Plan funds directly to the district, observing that works worth ₹2.5 crore had already been in progress in many SC/ST habitations across the district. The Collector informed the Chief Minister that direct allocation would help the district administration to complete works of overhead tanks, drinking water projects, and other critical infrastructure as per schedule. Mr. Sumit Kumar further urged the Chief Minister to clear pending bills, to which the Chief Minister responded positively. Meanwhile, Annamayya District Collector Nishant Kumar expressed concern at the rapid decline in the cultivation of horticulture crops due to deficient rainfall. Stressing that alternative steps were the need of the hour, the Collector said that the district administration was preparing a detailed action plan to expand horticulture acreage to boost sustainable income for the farmers. The Collector said that the Chief Minister ratified the proposal, instructing the officials to prioritise horticulture as a growth parameter in water-starved regions.