Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said that 26 irrigation projects would be expedited on priority and completed to benefit the farmers in the State.
Inaugurating the Nellore and MGR Sangam barrages as part of the Penna delta modernisation scheme, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that all the projects started during the Chief Ministerial tenure of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy would be completed at any cost.
Despite recurrent floods and coronavirus pandemic, the barrages were built by earmarking more than ₹300 crore by the YSRCP government, he said. “As YSR’s successor, I feel proud to inaugurate the projects,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the Sangam barrage was named after former Information Technology Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy who strove for early completion of the twin projects to benefit the farmers in Atmakur, Kovur, Sarvepalli, Nellore Rural and Kavali Assembly constituencies.
The Chief Minister, who offered ''harathi'' to the Penna river, lamented that the twin irrigation projects, for which Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had laid the foundation stone, had suffered cost and time overruns till 2019. The previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had missed the deadlines of 2015, 2018 and 2019, he said.
“As a result, the farmers were forced to put sand bags on the barrages incurring additional costs for water. Hardly ₹30 crore was spent on the projects by the previous TDP government which was bent upon escalating the project cost for kickbacks,” said the Chief Minister.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that farmers were a happier lot during the YSRCP regime as the State was blessed with bountiful rains in the last three years. “Not a single mandal in the State has suffered because of drought,” he said.
Development work
The Chief Minister announced ₹80 crore for development works in Atmakur Assembly constituency represented by Mekapati Vikram Reddy. He unveiled the statues of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Mekapati Goutham Reddy on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, YSRCP leader Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy envisaged better days for Andhra Pradesh after 2024. “The YSRCP is committed to securing Special Category Status for the State,” he said.
Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu, Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy and Nellore MLA P. Anil Kumar were present on the occasion.
