KURNOOL: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday, inaugurated the Lakkasagaram Lift Irrigation Pump House worth Rs 224.31 crore that would allow water to 77 irrigation tanks to cultivate 10,394 acres in Dhone, Aluru, Pathikonda and Panyam constituencies. The pump house would ensure drinking and irrigation water to the people from the Handri-Niva Sujala Sravanthi project main canal, he said.
Addressing a public meeting after switching on motors and unveiling the plaque at Lakkasagaram, the Chief Minister said the project was totally neglected by the TDP regime. “The previous government hurriedly issued a GO before elections but had done nothing. Foundation stones were laid for the sake of votes and they were later abandoned,” he alleged.
Describing his government as farmer-friendly, Jagan said he had promised to transform the Dhone Constituency as a model one during his Padayatra. “Our government was aware of the value of water and the difficulties of the people of Rayalaseema and hence, the project was expedited in the last four years,” he said.
Adding that the inaugurated canal will take 1.24 TMC of water to the dry and parched lands, Jagan said, “While Chandrababu Naidu tried to hoodwink people with empty promises during his term, our government displayed sincerity and completed the project on a war footing.”
He said it was only during the last four years that the height of the irrigation projects like the Gajuladinne and Sanjeevaiah Sagar project that would supply irrigation water to 24,372 acres went up to 5 TMC from the 4.5 TMC capacity.
“While Naidu allotted only Rs 13 crore on Handri-Niva during his term, former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy has allotted Rs 6,000 crore for it and brought it to the final stage from which our government took it forward and completed it,” Jagan explained. He further stated that his father increased the capacity of Pothireddy Padu Head Regulator to 44,000 cusecs from 11,000 cusecs and the YSRC government has increased it to 80,000 cusecs.
Lambasting Naidu for doing nothing to the people, the Chief Minister said he has so far spent Rs 2,35,000 crore on DBT schemes benefiting lakhs of women and others in the last four years. He further urged the people to work for the victory of YSRC in the coming elections, if they feel that they have benefitted from the plethora of welfare schemes all these years.
Finance Minister and Dhone MLA Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, ministers G Jayaram, A Rambabu, YSRC MLAs S Chakrapani Reddy, Hafiz Khan and others were present.
