YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy on Friday accused that the Irrigation Department officials of ‘misleading’ Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on the timelines for important irrigation projects undertaken in SPSR Nellore district.
“As a result, the deadlines set for various projects including Nellore Barrage and Sangam Barrage are getting missed,” lamented the MLA from Venkatagiri Assembly constituency which is now a part of Tirupati district, while taking part in the Irrigation Advisory Board meeting.
The MLAs of undivided SPSR Nellore district took part in the meeting that was held here after a gap of two years in view of COVID-19 situation.
Mr. Ramanarayana Reddy lamented that the Chief Minister, who had made announcements with regard to completion of the Sangam Barrage during the funeral of former Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy in February, had to cut a sorry figure.
He further said that the revised deadline of May for completion of the Sangam Barrage might not be met yet again. He also raised questions over the distribution of Penna river waters from the Somasila reservoir.
Participating in the meeting, Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy promised stern action against the rice millers who did not pay the minimum support price (MSP) to the paddy growers in the district. The Minister said this after some MLAs raised the issue of remunerative price for paddy. At the same time, the Minister underscored the need for stepping up awareness among farmers to switch over from paddy to other crops.
Water supply
District Collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu said the Somasila and Kandaleru reservoirs had a combined storage of 150 tmcft of water. Six tmcft of water would be ensured for cultivation in Nellore and Tirupati districts. He wanted the water users’ associations and irrigation staff to ensure judicious use of the released water. He assured the farmers that all farm inputs would be made available at the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK) in villages.
