TG to hold talks with Maha govt on Tummidihatti project: Uttam

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has said that the state government would initiate a dialogue with Maharashtra government to resolve the issue of the Tummidihatti project in the next month.

Replying to a question in the Legislative Council on Monday, the Minister said that an official delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will meet the Maharashtra counterparts in the meeting. A decision on the project height and drawing of river Godavari water would be finalised in the meeting, he informed.

Explaining the reasons for the increase of the estimates of the Sitarama project, Uttam clarified that funds required for the land acquisition, setting up of electric sub stations and the increase of GST were not included in the project report. The preliminary reports said it required 9,000 acres and now it was 18,000 acres. The total estimation of the projects has increased to Rs 19,465 crore from Rs 13,057 crore. 104 km of the 114-km main canal works have been completed so far and the construction of three pump houses has also been completed, he said.

Further, the Irrigation Minister said that the Palair Link Canal works have been completed 32 per cent, and tenders have been called for four package works out of eight packages related to distributor networks. Approval has been given for three more packages, he added.