The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP charges on projects decried

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Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP charges on projects decried

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Jalayagna Sadhana Samithi has accused Telugu Desam Party President N. Chandrababu Naidu of making yet another “attempt to deny farmers the benefits of irrigation projects.”

Kolli Nageswara Rao of the CPI-affiliated Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam and A.P. Jalayagna Sadhana Samithi convenor Kolanukonda Sivaji said at a joint press conference on Wednesday that the allegations of Mr. Naidu about corruption in the execution of Kalavakurti project in Mahabubnagar district were baseless.

Baseless

The Rs. 3,000-crore project involved the construction of three reservoirs and 15 lift irrigation schemes, but only earthwork had been taken until now. The allegation that sub-standard work was being executed was baseless, because no permanent structures had been constructed, Mr. Nageswara Rao said.

Explaining the benefit of irrigation projects to the arid Mahabubnagar district, Mr. Nageswara Rao said eight lakh acres would be brought under irrigation on completion of Kalavakurthi, Nettempadu and Bhima projects. The district was known for its hard working agricultural and construction workers and Palamur workers who come to even Krishna district for harvesting sugarcane were known to be more proficient at harvesting sugarcane than the local workers. Similarly, no irrigation project could be completed without Palamur workers lending a helping hand to it, Mr. Nageswara Rao said. When the Bhima project was first proposed a couple of decades ago, the farmers of Krishna delta passed a resolution forfeiting their right over 20 tmc ft of water allotted to them by the Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal, he recalled.

Counter-attack

Mr. Sivaji pooh-poohed the TDP’s criticism of corruption in the government, saying the list of scams that rocked the erstwhile Telugu Desam government was long. Mr. Naidu should recall Rs. 550-crore liquor purchase scam, Rs. 200-crore Yeleru land scam, Rs. 2,300-crore Neeru-Meeru scam, Rs. 1,500-crore Food for Work scam, Rs. 500-crore withdrawal of investment from PSUs scam, Rs. 50-crore timers’ scam and Rs. 1,000-crore IMG-Bharatha land scam, which saw the light when he was the Chief Minister.

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