NELLORE: Asserting that his government has prioritised irrigation projects in the State, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said no mandal in Andhra Pradesh has been declared drought-hit after his government took charge. He also noted that the State has received sufficient rains in the past three and half years.
Jagan was speaking in Nellore after inaugurating the Mekapati Goutham Reddy Sangam Barrage and Nellore Barrage across the River Penna on Tuesday. He said, “We have spent Rs 320 crore on the two barrages, which will irrigate around five lakh acres. The government is taking steps to expedite works of 26 irrigation projects from Srikakulam to Chittoor.”
Jagan dedicated the projects to the farmers and remarked, “We expedited the works for Sangam Barrage on a priority basis. As the son of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, I am very proud to have completed both the projects and inaugurated them. While YSR laid the foundation for the irrigation projects, the successive governments neglected them. They spent only Rs 30.5 crore for Sangam Barrage, while our government completed it with Rs 200 crore.”He pointed out that the works for both the projects were not stopped even during the Covid pandemic.
In the 1800s, the Britishers had constructed two anicuts - each at Nellore and Sangam - to meet irrigation and drinking water needs of the people in several mandals of Nellore district.Jagan recalled that Rajasekhara Reddy, during his regime, observed the condition of these projects and initiated measures for their modernisation under the Jalayagnam project.
Under the Sangam Barrage, 3.85 lakh acres would be irrigated. Both the projects will benefit farmers in Atmakur, Kovur, Sarvepalli and Kavali constituencies, the chief minister stated.Responding to Atmakur MLA Mekapati Vikram Reddy’s plea, the chief minister announced Rs 85 crore funds for the constituency. Of the total, Rs 15 crore have been allocated for the construction of a road connecting the Sangam Barrage with the National Highway-16, Rs 40 crore for irrigation works, Rs 14 crore for laying roads in rural areas and Rs 12 crore as special grant.
Vikram Reddy thanked Jagan for naming the Sangam Barrage after his brother and industries minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, who died of a heart attack in February this year.The legislator informed the chief minister that they would inaugurate an industrial park at Narampeta in the constituency soon and added that steps would be taken to provide 50 per cent jobs to local unemployed youth in the firms.
Former MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy urged Jagan to develop Sangam and A S Peta as tourism centres.