Will complete 36 irrigation projects in 3 years: Naidu

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has declared that the state government proposes to complete 36 irrigation projects at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore over the next three years, with the objective of ensuring adequate drinking and irrigation water across the state. He also set the 2028 Krishna Pushkarams as the target for ensuring greater availability of Krishna and Godavari waters.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday addressed a gathering after distributing pattas conferring full ownership rights to 26,401 families under the ‘Pedalaku Pattabhishekam’ programme at Makineni Basava Punnaiah Stadium in Vijayawada.

Naidu said the implementation of the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project could help address water scarcity across southern India. Around 1,400 tmc of Godavari water had flowed into the sea this year, he pointed out, and argued that diverting even 100 tmc for productive purposes could transform the region.

He said the government planned to complete the Polavaram project by next year and make water available through gravity flow. Water conserved in the Krishna Delta would subsequently be diverted towards Rayalaseema, he said.

Naidu said the previous government had obstructed the Pattiseema project, while his government had completed it and so far transported 490 tmc of water through the project. He said inadequate inflows into the Krishna, Srisailam reservoir, and Prakasam Barrage, which he attributed to the impact of El Nino, had made the project particularly important this year. He said water brought through Pattiseema was supplied to the delta region, helping prevent a drinking water shortage in Vijayawada.

Naidu said the NDA coalition government had already conferred land rights on 28,000 families in Visakhapatnam and 5,800 families in Mangalagiri. He said the decision to grant ownership rights was taken after considering the difficulties faced by poor families who had been living on the lands for decades. He congratulated public representatives and officials involved in the distribution of pattas to beneficiaries in NTR and Krishna districts.

The land covered by the pattas in Vijayawada alone extends over 707 acres and is valued at Rs 28,112 crore, with the value of individual plots ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore, according to the government.

The government had completed 5.5 lakh houses and was preparing to provide another 5.5 lakh houses during the coming year, he said.

Naidu criticised the previous government over its land policies between 2019 and 2024, alleging that they resulted in property disputes within families. He objected to the printing of political leaders’ images on pattadar passbooks and alleged that the Land Titling Act had created difficulties for landowners.

The Chief Minister said about Rs 800 crore was spent on printing images even on survey stones and argued that the money could instead have been used for welfare programmes.

The coalition government’s priorities, he said, were welfare, development, and wealth creation, Naidu said, and claimed that Rs 1.50 lakh crore had already been spent on developmental works.

Naidu also criticised the previous government over its opposition to the Amaravati capital project, alleging that letters had been written to the World Bank to prevent funding for the project and that various protests had been organised against Amaravati.

He said the previous administration had advocated a three-capital model and described Amaravati in negative terms. He said Amaravati would nevertheless be developed as a major capital city, with 50 per cent green cover, green energy meeting its electricity requirements, and a net-zero city objective.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K Varaprasada Rao

K Varaprasada Rao[email protected]

K Varaprasada Rao is a Senior Reporter with The Hans India, covering the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Chief Minister's Office (CMO), State Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and political affairs. With over 20 years of experience in journalism in Andhra Pradesh, he has extensively reported on governance, public policy, politics, and socio-economic issues that shape the state's development and influence the country's evolving landscape. He holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. His reporting focuses on finance, industries, irrigation, agriculture, infrastructure, investment, public administration, and political developments, with a particular interest in analysing their long-term economic and social impact.

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