Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday, 19 September, inaugurated the ₹224.31-crore Lakkasagaram Lift Irrigation Pump House.
The project is expected to provide water to 77 irrigation tanks to feed 10,394 acres in the Dhone, Aluru, Pathikonda, and Panyam constituencies.
He said on the occasion: “This will allow the supply of drinking and irrigation water from the main canal of Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project to quench the thirst of the land and the people in the erstwhile Kurnool district.”
He added that the canal would take 1.24 tmfct water to dry and parched lands.
Labour and Employment Minister G Jayaram, Irrigation Minister A Rambabu, and YSRCP MLAs S Chakrapani Reddy, Sudhakar, Hafiz Khan, K Rambhupal Reddy, and T Arth were present on the occasion.
కర్నూలు జిల్లా కృష్ణగిరి మండలం లక్కసాగరంలో కర్నూలు– నంద్యాల జిల్లాల పశ్చిమ ప్రాంత 77 చెరువులకు హంద్రీ– నీవా కాలువ నుంచి తాగు, సాగునీరు అందించే పథకాన్ని ప్రారంభించిన సీఎం శ్రీ వైయస్.జగన్. pic.twitter.com/Vlib4Wrm1J
— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) September 19, 2023
Addressing a huge public gathering at Dhone after switching on the motors and unveiling the plaque at Lakkasagaram, the chief minister, who was on a tour of the district, said the project was neglected by the TDP regime, during which foundation stones were laid for the sake of votes.
Describing his government as farmer-friendly, Jagan said that it had promised to develop Dhone into a model constituency, which would be in fulfilment of the promise he made to the people during his padayatra.
He said the government was aware of the value of water and the Rayalaseema people’s difficulties. Hence, he said, the project was expedited in the last four years.
Also read: Jagan pushes Polavaram project completion date to 2025
Taking on the TDP
Jagan claimed that TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu “tried to hoodwink people with empty promises during his term, but this government displayed sincerity and completed it on a war footing.”
The YSRCP chief also said while Naidu allotted only ₹13 crore to the Handri-Niva project during his term, his father late YS Rajasekhar Reddy allotted ₹6,000 crore for it and brought it to the final stage, from which he took it forward and completed it.
The chief minister said that while his father increased the capacity of the Pothireddy Padu Head Regulator to 44,000 cusecs from 11,000 cusecs, he has increased it to 80,000 cusecs, adding that Naidu never thought of this.
He added that he had thus far spent ₹2.35 lakh crore on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes benefiting lakhs of women and others in the last four years, and pointed out that Naidu failed to do so despite the budget being the same.
While accusing Naidu of eyeing public funds by following his old plunder-and-stash policy, he said that he, as a responsible chief minister, had filled more than 53,000 vacancies in the medical and health sector in the last 50 months.
“If you feel you have benefitted all these years through a plethora of welfare measures, you become my soldiers and work for the victory of YSRCP in the next elections,” he called upon the people.
Finance Minister B. Rajendranath Reddy said in his address that Naidu had never cared to provide relief to the people of the Pathikonda, Mantralayama, and Dhone constituencies, where drought prevailed for several years.
He asserted that Jagan was the only chief minister who thought of it and took up remedial measures.
