The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Delay in Vamsadhara second phase likely

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 08, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Delay in Vamsadhara second phase likely

By R. Jagadeeswara Rao

SRIKAKULAM, APRIL 7. Will the second phase of the Rs. 950-crore project with the potential to irrigate 1.07 lakh acres and make Srikakulam district a `rice bowl' be delayed?

It appears so if the Government order sanctioning additional land acquisition units for the proposed irrigation projects is any indication.

Land acquisition units

According to information reaching here, the GO for establishing additional land acquisition units, in which proposals for the Vamsadhara project had not found a place, is ready and will be released in a day or two.

The Government had decided to take up 24 irrigation projects on priority basis and proposals for establishing LA units for these projects had been sought from the officers concerned.

While reviewing the Vamsadhara project at a meeting held here recently, the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) had also sought proposals for establishing LA units for the project.

The officials of the project informed the Government that 10,000 acres were required for the project for which six LA units were needed.

Accordingly, officials had sent proposals for establishing five new LA units and for continuation of the existing LA unit at Rajam.

Orissa's objection

But surprisingly, all the proposed LA units for the 23 irrigation projects except the ones meant for the Vamsadhara project had been accepted.

This, according to officials here, is likely to delay the execution of Vamsadhara project. There were two LA units for the first phase of Vamsadhara project, but since the project had been completed, they were wound up. Meanwhile two Chief Engineers of the Central Water Commission held discussions with irrigation officials, including the Principal Secretary (irrigation) C.V.S.K. Sarma and the Advisor, Sithapathi Rao, over the issues raised by the Orissa Government in respect of the Vamsadhara project at Hyderabad on Thursday.

The Orissa Government had expressed apprehensions that execution of Vamsadhara project would hurt the interests of people in Orissa.

Officials of the Vamsadhara project, however, reportedly allayed such apprehensions.

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