ANANTAPUR: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has said that farmers under the first phase of Hundri-Neeva canal in Anantapur district would receive water for the kharif crop in 2008.

Talking to reporters after holding a marathon review meeting with district officials here on Sunday, Dr. Reddy said 1.18 lakh acres would receive water in the first phase.

Similarly, 2.40 lakh acres would receive water in the second phase by 2010, he said.

Irrigation officials were asked to speed up the works and not bother about money.

He said after the review meeting that it was decided to modernise the Tungabhadra High Level Canal (HLC), starting at 105 km point on the State border, to receive 10 tmcft extra water pooled through redistribution.

The water would be stocked in Penna Ahobilam reservoir.

The Chief Minister said that a high level committee would be constituted to suggest suitable cropping pattern that conserves water to irrigate more area under HLC.

To ensure quality in execution of irrigation works, third party quality control system was introduced under the Hundri-Neeva and other important projects, he said. Dr. Reddy announced that a committee would be formed to study the possibilities of involving the NGOs in the housing programme. . He said social auditing would be done to scrutinise the works executed at village-level.

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