FROM AN ADMIRER: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy receiving a silver maze from MLA R. Chenga Reddy at Nagari on Sunday.

ANANTAPUR: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has reiterated that the Government has been according top priority to farmers' welfare in spite of various practical difficulties in the endeavour. Taking up irrigation projects has been the major aspect in the farmers' welfare, he said.

Speaking after laying foundation stone for the second phase of Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project at Brahmanapalli near Kadiri, about 110 km away from here, on Sunday he termed the project as a blessing for the farmers of the drought-prone upland areas in Anantapur district.

The project would bring Krishna water to the fields from Srisailam reservoir and the works on the first phase of the project were already in progress. Irrigation potential

The Chief Minister claimed that the first phase would be completed in two-three years and the second phase in four-five years. The project would create an irrigation potential of 80,000 acres in Kurnool, 3,45,000 acres in Anantapur, 37,500 acres in Kadapa and 1,40,000 acres Chittoor districts.

Explaining the Government's commitment for farmers' welfare, the Chief Minister stated that while several sections doubted the grounding of Handri-Neeva as it would incur an expenditure of Rs. 1.12 lakhs for creating of irrigation potential per acre they had taken it up only with an objective to help the region's people fight famine conditions.

The Government had taken up the project overlooking the cost-benefit ratio.

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