NALGONDA: Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday revealed the state government’s plan to discuss the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project with national-level experts and to expedite the works at the earliest.
Speaking at a review meeting on irrigation projects and civil supplies in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, held in Miryalaguda, the minister said: “We will be discussing the SLBC project with national-level experts. We will also be forming a committee comprising those national-level experts and that committee will make suggestions on expediting the project works.”
Uttam also reiterated the government’s commitment to expediting irrigation project works across all constituencies to transform the region into a “lush, green landscape”.
Stating that the previous BRS regime had spent Rs 1.21 lakh crore without adding anything to the existent ayacut, the minister emphasised that the present Congress government is determined to complete all pending projects. “Our government allocated Rs 23,000 crore in this year’s Budget and appointed 1,100 engineers to strengthen the irrigation department,” he said.
“Dindi project, long neglected by the previous government, is being revitalised with Rs 1,800 crore funds and tenders have already been called for, to start the works. Similarly, funds have also been allocated for the Gandhamalla and Udaya Samudram projects,” he added.
The minister also said that all minor irrigation tanks across the state will be repaired during this summer.
Uttam also informed that to address the issue of shortage of lascars in the Irrigation department, district collectors have been authorised to appoint 50 to 100 lascars per chief engineer on outsourcing basis, with a total of 1,800 posts allocated across 33 districts.
During a review meeting on civil supplies, Uttam claimed that Telangana has now become the highest paddy-producing state in the country, with 280 lakh metric tonnes produced in the recent seasons.
Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy lauded the fine rice scheme as a pro-poor initiative and criticised the previous government for focusing solely on Kaleshwaram project, spending over Rs 2 lakh crore, while neglecting the other projects.
He also said that Rs 1,700 crore has been allocated to the erstwhile Nalgonda district through the R&B department and that Rs 150 crore will be spent on laying and repairing roads in each Assembly constituency.