Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh has promised safe drinking water to Ongole on a daily basis if his party is voted to power in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Addressing a public meeting during his ‘Yuva Galam‘ padayatra here on July 26 (Wednesday) night, Mr. Lokesh noted that the denizens were put to hardship due to supply of drinking water once in three to five days in different parts of the city.
The ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has failed to provide matching grant for a drinking water project even as the Centre has released its share of funds for the project promised to be undertaken by Ongole MLA and former Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, he said.
It was unfortunate that the State could not avail of the benefit of the Centrally-sponsored Jal Jeevan Mission as the ‘inept‘ Jagan Mohan Reddy government could not release its share of funds, he said during his 166th day of the walkathon.
‘‘Immediately after the TDP forms the next government, the drinking water problem will be resolved permanently,” Mr Lokesh said after walking 11.3 km on Wednesday.
The TDP leader has covered 2,190 km since he launched the Yuva Galam padayatra in Kuppam.
People living in the colonies on the city outskirts complained to Mr. Lokesh about the irregular water supply through tankers and poor civic infrastructure in the areas that have been merged with the Ongole Municipal Corporation.
A water grid would be set up, apart from piped water supply to every house in city after storing the Krishna water in summer storage tanks and treating it, he said.
He sought to know why Mr. Srinivasa Reddy was dropped from the Cabinet by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. “Was it because he (Mr. Srinivasa Reddy) pressed for funds for development of the city or due his alleged involvement in Hawala transactions?” he asked.
Prakasam district would be turned into a ‘pharma hub‘, Mr. Lokesh promised and dared the YSRCP MLAs and MPs for a debate on the developments done during the TDP regime and the YSRCP tenure.
It was TDP former MLA Damacharla Janardhan Rao who ensured release of ₹2,500 crore for ongoing civic infrastructure projects including a network of CC roads, stormwater drains, LED streetlights and modernisation of Potharaju canal, he said.
The TDP leader promised an underground drainage system for the city within two years of coming to power and also complete the infrastructure works in TIDCO housing colonies and hand them over to the beneficiaries within 100 days of coming to power.
Criticising the Chief Minister for using a helicopter to travel even a short distance of 10 to 15 km, Mr. Lokesh said, ‘‘it is because of the unmotorable condition of roads across the State.” All the pothole-riddled roads would be repaired if the TDP was voted to power, he added.
