Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday inaugurated the Kuppam Branch Canal of the Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project and released Krishna waters for the Kuppam and Palamaner Assembly constituencies.
The canal has been constructed at a cost of ₹560.29 crore under Phase II, in Rama Kuppam mandal, and is intended to provide irrigation water to 6,300 acres of ayacut through 110 minor irrigation tanks in the two constituencies.
Addressing a public meeting later, at Gundisettipalle in Shanthipuram mandal, the Chief Minister announced that the HNSS waters travel 672 kilometres through hills and forests from Srisailam, before entering Kuppam. “With this, we are making history today,” he added.
Targeting TDP national president and Kuppam MLA N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister said: “Though Mr. Naidu is representing Kuppam as its MLA and worked as the Chief Minister for 14 years, it’s shocking that he couldn’t complete the Kuppam Branch Canal. Mr. Naidu grossly neglected the project and resorted to manipulating the estimates and contracts in favour of his cronies. Today, the YSRCP government has made the dream of the Kuppam people come true.”
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that Mr. Naidu was forced to shift his political base to Kuppam after a humiliating defeat in the Chandragiri Assembly constituency, his home turf. “Since 1989, Mr. Naidu has maintained control over Kuppam, though it’s predominantly populated by the backward classes. It’s time for a change to prioritise the needs and aspirations of the people over personal gains,” Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
Pensions
‘’Mr. Naidu during the TDP regime had allocated ₹200 crore to provide ₹1,000 each as social security pensions to just 31,000 beneficiaries in Kuppam. In contrast, over the last 57 months, the YSRCP government has increased the pension amount to ₹3,000 and extended it to 45,374 beneficiaries in Kuppam, spending a substantial ₹507 crore solely on pensions in the constituency,” the CM said.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy maintained that it was his government that transformed Kuppam from a village panchayat into a municipality and a revenue division. He alleged that it was Mr. Naidu who forced the closure of the cooperative dairy sector in Chittoor district to promote his private dairy and it was the Eenadu group chairman Ramoji Rao who tried to scuttle the progress of Christian Medical College Hospital in Chittoor. “But, I restarted it and made it a reality for Chittoor,” the CM said.
Earlier, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy arrived at Rama Kuppam by a helicopter to a resounding welcome from the party cadres.
Minister for Energy P. Ramachandra Reddy, YSRCP MLAs from combined Chittoor district, district authorities, and party cadres took part in the event
