VIJAYAWADA: YSRC general secretary and government advisor (public affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy asked Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu to break his silence on the ongoing water dispute with Telangana State. Sajjala said Naidu should come out openly with his stand on the issue instead of asking his party leaders to write letters.Reacting on the TDP leaders from Chittoor filing a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the construction of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), Sajjala alleged that Naidu had made his leaders filed the petition in the same tone as that of Telangana, which is opposing the RLIS.
“By making his party MLAs from Prakasam district write a letter opposing RLIS, Naidu is trying to fan regional passions. Naidu does not have love for his native Chittoor district and this was made evident by his party leaders’ petition in the NGT,’’ Sajjala said.Sajjala criticised Naidu for maintaining stoic silence even as water is going waste into the sea due to the acts of Telangana State. “Why are you not questioning Telangana Chief Minister for utilising water from irrigation projects illegally for generating power?’’ Sajjala sought to know.
“We are getting doubts as to whether Naidu had entered into a secret pact with the Telangana leadership on the issue,’’ he said.On the Veligonda project, Sajjala said that the project was initiated by former Chief Minister late YS Rajashekara Reddy who completed a major share of works but the same was later neglected during TDP tenure. “Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has completed the works of Veligonda Tunnel-1 on a war footing and the works of Tunnel -2 will be completed by 2023 and water will be released to Prakasam district,’’ he asserted.
On the allegations of TDP that gram Panchayats are being replaced by village and ward secretariats, Sajjala said that it was Naidu who crippled the Panchayat system by introducing Janmabhoomi Committees. “People were looted through Janmabhoomi committees. Our government introduced a secretariat system to strengthen the panchayats and bring administration closer to people,’’he said. He slammed the TDP for propagating false information on mining and asserted that it was laterite and not bauxite being mined.
Nominated posts to be filled, 50% for women
The State government would fill the nominated posts in a day or two, Sajjala said adding priority would be given to women. Of all the posts of directors and chairmen in these corporations, 50 per cent would be given to women, he said.