SRIKAKULAM: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that the government would complete all pending projects in the district by next year by allocating Rs 2,000 crore. Addressing a public meeting at NTR greenfield stadium in Jaggu Sasthrulapeta village in Amadalavalasa mandal after inaugurating the Eruvaka programme at Ravikantipeta, he said that his aim was to ensure supply of irrigation water to 8 lakh more acres of land in the district. He also said that the Vamsadhara project would be completed by July-end and will store 8 tmcft water as promised.
On various ongoing irrigation projects, he said that the interlinking of the Nagavali and the Vamsadhara rivers would also be completed in the next few months with an estimated cost of `80 crore. Similarly, Narayanapuram ayacut would be modernised with `139 crore and Totapalli project too will be revamped. He also inaugurated the Chandranna Rythu Beema scheme under which the farmers would get compensation even up to the age of 70 years.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister lashed out at all the Opposition parties in the State. On the statement of Jana Sena chief Pawan kalyan that another Telangana-like movement would arise in Uttarandhra, he termed the area as the “kanchu kota” (stronghold) of the TDP. “Rather than fighting for the Kadapa steel plant, the YSRC is extending support to the BJP through backdoor,” the Chief Minister said. Similarly, the person who was almost ready to join the YSRC was made State BJP president, he said. Instead of working for the interests of the State, all Opposition parties are working for their personal and party interests, Naidu said.
Crop diversity
On other irrigation projects in the State, Naidu said the government is mulling to interlink the Godavari and Penna rivers and also bring water from Polavaram project to Srikakulam under the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanti project. Since radical changes took place in the food habits of the people, farmers should come out of traditional farming by giving priority to non-paddy crops. People prefer eating fruits, vegetables, milk products and fish rather than rice for which farmers need to switch over to horticulture and aquaculture, he said. Out of the 54 proposed projects in the State, 39 were completed and the rest would be completed soon, he said.
To the proposals made by the Government Whip and local MLA Kuna Ravi Kumar, Naidu promised that he would sanction a degree college for Ponduru and also a khadi cluster at a cost of `25 crore. He also promised to set up a veterinary college at Burja and modernisation of Relli Gedda tank. On the Amdalavalasa cooperative sugar factory, which remained closed for many decades, he said that he would make an alternative arrangement to create jobs to the local people. Either MSME park or an IT park would be set up instead of re-opening the cooperative sugar factory, Naidu said.