The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naidu promises completion of irrigation project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 11, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu promises completion of irrigation project

By Our Correspondent

MAHABUBNAGAR, APRIL 10. The Telugu Desam Party president and Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Saturday assured people of the district that he would complete the Nettumpadu lift irrigation project which was proposed to irrigate over two lakh acres in the Gadwal area. Addressing impressive election meetings at Ieej town in the Gadwal Assembly constituency and Shantinagar in the Alampur Assembly segment, Mr. Naidu said he would "prove my sincerity'' with regard to Nettumpadu amidst cheers from the gathering. He said the Government had already given administrative sanction to Nettumpadu and also released Rs. 50 crores.

He said he had "re-written the history'' of the Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (R.D.S.) by providing water to the tail end ayacut which was denied water since its inception 50 yeas ago by constructing the Jurala link canal. He said that while his Government provided water to entire RDS ayacut for the first time in its history, the TRS and the Congress were trying to "hoodwink" people by giving "distorted version'' of the facts. The Congress Governments had never paid attention to the problems of RDS ayacutdars, he alleged.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said the credit for completing the Jurala project by spending Rs. 500 crores should go to his Government. He said that his Government alone could do social justice. His party had given more seats to weaker sections, the backward classes and women than the Congress.

Lashing out at the Congress for making "false promises'' on free power supply for farming community, he asked how could it give free power when it failed to do so in Congress-ruled states.

Referring to the recent revelations on the Bofors scandal, the TDP leader said the Congress "from top to bottom'' was "embroiled in corruption.'' "In the State its leaders are facing charges of selling out party ticket," he said. Mr. Naidu predicted that the TRS chief would follow late Marri Channa Reddy who led the Telangana movement in 1969. "Channa Reddy at that time merged TPS into the Congress after elections were over and Chandrasekhar Rao would do the same.''

He appealed the women voters not to waste a single vote and extend support to TDP-BJP alliance candidates.

Mr. Naidu appealed to voters of Gadwal to excuse his party candidate Ghattu Bheemudu if he committed any mistakes. There was good response from the audience whenever Mr. Naidu criticised opposition parties. He thanked the people for waiting for him in the scorching sun.

The Chief Minister was behind the schedule for about two hours. He came around 1.30 pm and addressed the gathering for about 40 minutes.

Earlier, the Minister for Panchayat Raj, N. Janardhan Reddy, the district party in charge, Alladi Raj Kumar, the Rajya Sabha member, Rumandla Ramachandraiah, the district TDP president, P. Manohar, the TDP Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha candidate, Y. Yella Reddy, and Mr. Ghattu Bheemudu spoke.

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