The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Irrigation work by July: YSR

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Tuesday, Apr 19, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Irrigation work by July: YSR

Staff Reporter

Completion of projects in 4 years Completion in four years: Chief Minister

BHADRACHALAM: The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said on Monday that work on all major irrigation projects, including Rajiv Sagar (Dummugudem), would be taken up by July.

Addressing a news conference, Dr. Reddy made it clear that stone-laying for the projects would be scheduled from June.

He said the projects would be completed in four years. The State had been enjoying special attention of the Centre and there was no reason why they should be delayed, he said.

Dr. Reddy said initial survey and investigation needed to be completed for some of the projects. Work would get under way once the formalities of planning and tendering were completed.

Khammam's needs

Asked about the demand of a section of MLAs from the district for a taking up alignment of Rajiv Sagar Phase-I from Rudramkota while others preferred the original design, he said the Government's decision would be guided by feasibility. The irrigation needs of Khammam would be the priority under the Rajiv Sagar project.

The move to take the lift (Godavari) water to the tail-pond of Nagarjunasagar had nothing to do with it. Dr. Reddy said Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts would benefit from the irrigation projects.

In Karimnagar district, some six lakh more acres was being brought under cultivation. Rs. 1,100 crores would be spent on flood flow works and another Rs. 1,600 crores on other projects.

TDP's neglect

The Polavaram project would help cover the coastal districts of East Godavari, West Godavarai, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. Prakasam district would benefit substantially from the Velugodu project.

He pointed out that the irrigation sector was subjected to complete neglect under TDP rule. Even the much talked about Telugu Ganga project was still incomplete.

The State Government had given Rs. 300 crores for completion of the project. Other projects proposed in N.T. Rama Rao's regime way back in the 1980s such as Handri-Neeva and Galeru-Nagari were still confined to paper, he said.

The Chief Minister ruled out the scope for formation of new districts in the State.

He said the Ramayana theme park proposed at Bhadrachalam at a cost of Rs. 8 crores would come up soon.

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