More NH projects likely for Kothagudem dist: Tummala

Kothagudem: Minister for Roads and Buildings Tummala Nageshwar Rao asserted here on Wednesday that there was a chance of the Kothagudem district getting more national highway projects.

Participating in the first anniversary celebration of the district formation at the Kothagudem Club, Tummala said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao would hand over letters of ownership rights to those farmers holding more than five acres of land each, as he felt that the State could not survive if farmers were left in the lurch. Only those involved in farming would be given the rights after completing the survey of land records.

The Minister said that the government created new districts with the objective of taking the administration closer to the people and to ensure that the fruits of development reached them on time. “Courage and determination were required for creating new districts”, he said while praising KCR who took a bold step in carving out new districts.

Tummala sought to defend the splitting of erstwhile Khammam district, saying it has a huge area with more tribal population. The government would take all steps to ensure development of every region by taking the administration closer to people’s doorstep, although it faced problems after new districts were formed.

The Roads and Buildings Minister complimented the district officials for being available on a daily basis to serve the people. He congratulated the District Collector on getting the excellence award at the State level in the Mission Kakatiya project, pointing out that during the past one year, the district had achieved tremendous progress.

He said the Seetharama project was taken up at a cost of Rs. 8,000 crore to make the district flush with green by providing irrigation facilities. Apart form the two districts of Bhadrachalam and Kothagudem, Mahabubabad would get the benefit of irrigation water supply, he added.

According to the Minister, the 1,080 MW plant in Manugooru and 800 MW in KTPS would be completed next year to pave the way for the district emerging as the focal point of power generation in the State.

He said that if all the power and irrigation projects in the two districts were completed, the funds could be spent on the welfare of the poor. Tummala called upon officials and people’s representatives to work in tandem to ensure that the district occupies the top spot in the State.

Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao presided over the meeting.

Among those present were SC Corporation Chairman Pidamarthi Ravi, Zilla Parishad chairperson Gadipalli Kavitha, MLC Balasani Lakshminarayana, Yellandu MLA Koram Kanakayya, District Collector Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu, SP Ambar Kishor Jha, Grandhalaya Samstha Chairman Dindigala Rajender.