The Hindu : Front Page : Pulichintala project by 2007, says YSR

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Wednesday, Aug 10, 2005

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Pulichintala project by 2007, says YSR

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister makes aerial survey of Krishna,Guntur districts

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy has exuded confidence that his Government can complete Pulichintala project by 2007 monsoon. "We are very much hopeful of completing the project. Though several hurdles are being created, we are able to overcome all of them," he said, fielding questions at a press conference at Gannavaram airport on Tuesday after conducting an aerial survey of Krishna and Guntur districts and visiting Avanigadda and other flood-hit villages.

"If we had got this opportunity five years ago, Andhra Pradesh would have been very lucky by now. The State has suffered a lot during the last 10 years," he pointed out.

Soon after the completion of Pulichintala project, the Government would take up modernisation of irrigation canals. When reporters told him that irrigation canals in some constituencies in Krishna district were not getting water despite floods, the Chief Minister asked district Collector Navin Mittal to take up repair works immediately by handing over the works on a nomination basis.

However, when legislators Devineni Rajasekhar and K. Parthasarathy told Dr. Reddy that it wasn't the right time to do so, he asked the Collector to discuss the technicalities involved in the issue with irrigation engineers, agriculture officials and elected representatives. He told Mr. Mittal: "I am empowering you to take an appropriate decision to help farmers of Bandar, Malleswaram and Kaikalur Assembly constituencies where canals are not getting water." Though modernisation of canals was a Herculean task, the Government was committed to taking it up as soon as Pulichintala project came into being.

Check-dams

To another query, Dr. Reddy said that proposals for the construction of a few check-dams downstream the Prakasam Barrage was also under consideration. The Chief Minister said that the Government was contemplating enhancing the capacity of Pothireddypadu head regulator to pump in three-and-a-half tmc feet of water so as to provide water to Rayalaseema region. In response to another question on Godavari waters too going waste into the sea, he said Polavaram and Dummugudem projects would solve this problem. "I want to supply Godavari waters to the entire command area of Nagarjunasagar by diverting water from Dummugudem. If that happens, needs of south Telangana and south Rayalaseema can also be taken care of by Srisailam project," he observed.

The Chief Minister lauded the entire officialdom, Collectors and irrigation officials for rising to the occasion.

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