ONGOLE: State Water Resources Minister Anil Kumar Yadav said,” We will complete the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project and ensure supply of water for irrigation and drinking purposes to the ayacut areas by June 2020. This project will help cultivate around seven lakh acres of land in Prakasam, SPSR Nellore and Kadapa district. We will provide the relief and rehabilitation (R &R) package to all displaced people.”
He, along with other ministers, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, Adimulapu Suresh, District Collector P Bhaskar and other officials visited the PS Veligonda Project site on Saturday. They inspected the first tunnel works and inquired about the progress of the project from the engineering experts involved. In this connection they conducted a review meeting at the Veligonda Project guest house at Kothur in Dornala Mandal.
Speaking to the media, Anil Kumar said that via undertaking reverse tendering for the PS Veligonda Project, the government has saved `62 crore. “The State government is according top priority to Polavaram and Veligonda projects and by completing the first tunnel works by June 2020, we plan to release water to ayacut lands as per schedule,” the minister said.
On the occasion, District Collector P Bhaskar said that in all 4,617 families residing in 11 villages at eight places who were displaced due to the Veligonda Project would be rehabilitated soon. Minister A Suresh suggested that all the project victims should be given a considerable sum as one-time settlement, which might help the victims in shifting to safer areas.
Joint Collector S Shanmohan, Kanigiri MLA B Madhusudan, Markapur MLA K Nagarjuna Reddy, land acquisition special collector Gangadhar Goud, water resources chief engineer K Jalandhar, SE N Nagesh, Megha Construction’s Srinath Reddy and others attended the review meeting.