HYDERABAD: Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday said the Congress government had placed the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district at the centre of its irrigation agenda and would expedite the completion of pending projects in the region.
Announcing that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and he would undertake a two-day review of major irrigation projects on June 4 and 5, Uttam said the government was prepared to release “whatever funds are required” to fast-track works, resolve land acquisition issues and complete projects such as Palamuru-Rangareddy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar and Bheema.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Ajilapur Lift Irrigation Scheme in Devarakadra mandal, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the chief minister’s visit would review the Palamuru-Rangareddy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar, Bheema and Kalwakurthy projects, focusing on pending works, land acquisition and funds allocation to accelerate project execution.
The minister alleged that several irrigation projects in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district remained incomplete under the previous BRS government and claimed the Palamuru region was not given the same priority as Kaleshwaram.
Rejecting claims that the Palamuru-Rangareddy project was nearly complete before the change of government, Uttam said not a single acre had received irrigation benefits when the Congress assumed office. He said Revanth’s tour would boost irrigation development and help transform the region into a fertile agricultural belt.
He said the Ajilapur Lift Irrigation Scheme, sanctioned at`32 crore, will draw water from the Koilsagar Balancing Reservoir and utilise nearly 65 MCFT of water for irrigation and would provide irrigation support to about 1,400 acres in Ajilapur, Gaddagudem and Venkatayapalli villages.