Rayalaseema a victim of Jagan’s inefficiency in irrigation sector: Naidu

Anantapur: Former chief minister and TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday commented that Rayalaseema has become a victim to the foolishness and inefficiency of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Naidu made a power-point presentation on the irrigation projects in Anantapur district as part of his ongoing ‘Yudha Bheri’ programme. The TDP supremo said that Jagan totally neglected 102 projects in Rayalaseema, including 38 in Anantapur district alone. This apart, in the name of launching new projects, Jagan has minted Rs 600 crore money, he remarked.

“My sole aim is to make Rayalaseema region a fertile land and I am now visiting all the irrigation projects in the state only to tell the public about the destructive policies of Jagan due to which these projects have got damaged,” Chandrababu said. Observing that the people should realise the fact as to who has done justice to their area and who did injustice to them, he felt that besides the common man, intellectuals, farmers, farmers’ associations and people’s unions should be aware of how Jagan has ruined the irrigation projects and caused damage to the state.

He pointed out all should realise the benefits of linking Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Godavari, Pennar, and Krishna and felt that water and roads were crucial for creating assets. Water was supplied to Anantapur district due to Pattiseema project, he stated.

Stating Anantapur and Mahbubnagar districts as the most backward districts in the combined Andhra Pradesh, the TDP supremo noted that Anantapur was well developed following the supply of water to the district while Mahbubnagar was developed as an industrial hub. Pointing out that 120 tmc feet of Godavari water was diverted to Krishna delta through Pattiseema, Naidu said the surplus water in Srisailam project was supplied to Rayalaseema through Handri-Neeva, Galeru-Nagari and the Telugu Ganga.

Though Anantapur did not witness any rains till now this year, the State government has not switched on the Pattiseema and Handri-Neeva pumpsets, he remarked.

“It was late NT Rama Rao, who made it clear that the surplus water from Srisailam can be supplied to Rayalaseema and it is the TDP which said that the Godavari water can be brought to the region and also realised it,” Naidu said.

Giving details on the release of funds by the TDP government for various irrigation projects in the state, particularly in Rayalaseema region including Anantapur district, Naidu felt that the rulers do not have any understanding when will these ongoing projects could be completed. Of the total 47.20 lakh acres agricultural land in Anantapur, land fit for cultivation is only 11.79 lakh acres while the extent of land under irrigation is a mere 1.39 lakh acres, he said and stated that the farmers totally depend on water from the Pennar and the Krishna basins.

If the entire land gets irrigation facility, the whole Anantapur district will certainly turn into a horticultural hub, Chandrababu felt and recalled how he continued the works on the incomplete projects launched by the earlier governments.

However, after Jagan came to power, he raised the curtain for a new type of robbery, the former chief minister commented.

Observing that Kia is the most popular car brand in the country, Naidu said that with the company starting its unit in Anantapur, the entire topography of district has undergone a total change.

Making it clear that he will certainly transform Rayalaseema into a fertile region, Naidu felt that if the region was linked with cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, the industrial and farming sectors will progress well.