ONGOLE: AP Chief Minister Mr Chandrababu Naidu, who usually claims credit for developing Hyderabad, the software industry and self-help groups, on Friday went a step ahead and said that women in the state had learnt to talk and express themselves thanks to him. Appreciating a SHG member for her speech during a Janmabhoomi-Mavuru public meeting at Silamvarpalli in Prakasam district, the CM said that he had taught women to speak as well as to save money. He also spoke about how he was using technology to deliver pensions at the door step of beneficiaries.
He said that there were 90 lakh women in self-help groups in the state and they had saved Rs 4,500 crore so far, adding that the government had released Rs 10,000 crore to them. They thus had Rs 14,500 crore in their banks. He added that they were eligible to get loans of Rs 1 lakh crore from banks. Mr Naidu said that while he is trying to develop the state, leaders of some political parties were trying to blackmail him, but they would fail. He also alleged that YSRCP leaders were obstructing the development of the state.
The CM assured that the government would complete the Veligonda and Pattiseema Irrigation Projects to solve the area's drought problem and said that he had instructed the contractors to complete the pending projects.
He said one the Veligonda project's phase-2 was completed, the drought problem of the Kanigiri area would be solved. He assured that the government would complete all irrigation projects to make AP a drought free state.
The CM also expressed dissatisfaction over RWS officials not properly executing the works taken up under the "Neeru-Chettu" programme. Some farmers complained that the officials were not visiting their villages and had not taken up works under the Neeru-Chettu programme. Reacting to their complaints, Mr Naidu sought the cooperation of officials to speed up the works and reminded them that the government had already hiked their salaries.
