VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Water Resources Ambati Rambabu on Sunday lambasted TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for not leaving even a natural disaster and the farmers’ suffering for his political gain. Speaking to newsmen at the YSRC headquarters in Tadepalli, he observed, “The Leader of Opposition is truly acting upon his principle to take advantage of the crisis. He is doing it for his political mileage now.”
“Our government is committed to extending all help to the farmers, who suffered crop loss due to Cyclone Michaung. We have acted swiftly to mitigate the loss of life and damage to property and succeeded to a maximum extent. The enumeration of crop loss has commenced on December 9,” he explained.
Ambati accused the TDP chief of stooping low and resorting to playing with the emotions of people, who suffered due to the cyclone. “Naidu is going to the cyclone-hit places only to instigate the people against the State government and benefit politically. He never understood the problems of ryots and his sympathy is only lip service,” he said.
On the issue of irrigation projects, the minister demanded to know who constructed the projects in the State. “Was it Naidu or former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy? It was YSR, who laid the foundation stone for the new irrigation projects and inaugurated them. Even the Gundlakamma project was inaugurated by YSR. Most of the Pulichintala project work happened during the YSR regime, and the project was inaugurated after his demise by the Congress government. Today, our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is striving to complete all the pending projects taken up under the Jalayagnam,” Ambati elaborated.
Two projects in Nellore were inaugurated by Jagan and recently water from Owk's second tunnel was also released by him. He will soon inaugurate Veligonda's second tunnel. Jagan is inaugurating projects for which his father YSR had laid the foundation stone. What has Naidu done? Nothing,” he remarked.
Naidu is responsible for the washout of the Gundlakamma project crest gate as he failed to act upon the recommendation of the dam safety panel report to get the gates repaired, he pointed out. On the current status of the project, he said efforts to stop water leakage have been successful and a temporary stop-lock arrangement has been made.