HYDERABAD: Stating that Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) is an example for other states, Fifteenth Finance Commission secretary Arvind Mehta lavished praises on the State government for undertaking such a massive project to provide drinking and irrigation water to the people. He also lauded the Mission Bhagiratha scheme.
“The construction work of KLIS will be a role model for all other states in the country. Providing drinking and irrigation water to the people is a great job. So much work is taking place in a short span of time at Kaleshwaram,” Mehta said after visiting the Kaleshwaram sites on Saturday. He further said the entire team of Fifteenth Finance Commission will visit the project sites again within the next four months.
Mehta, accompanied by State government Chief Secretary SK Joshi and officials of the Irrigation department, visited the Ranganayaki Sagar work under package-11 of the KLIS in Siddipet district. Later, all of them visited the construction site of Annaram barrage in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. Mehta expressed happiness over the progress of the tunnel work at Ranganayaki Sagar. At Sndlapur, Chief Secretary Joshi and Finance Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao explained the details of KLIS with maps.
As the State government had earlier sought `10,000 crore in the Union budget for KLIS, the officials explained to Mehta about the total cost of the KLIS. They also briefed him about the funds so far mobilised for the project and also the expenditure details.
Joshi told Mehta that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was committed to irrigate every inch of land in the State.
‘Project progressing with lightning speed’:
“The KLIS has several special features, if one goes by the national and international standards maintained in the construction of huge projects. The construction of structures, the plan and the speed in which the project is progressing, are very attractive and fascinating,” Mehta said.Mehta further said that he had no doubt that the State government could provide water to farmers by June as the workers were engaged in three shifts of 8 hours each in a day. “Kaleshwaram will cross its first milestone by June. I have never seen projects being executing in such lightning speed,” Mehta observed. KLIS is a mega project as it would create 18 lakh acres of new ayacut and stabilise 18 lakh existing ones.