BRS Couldn’t Boost Cultivable Area Despite Huge Loans: Bhatti

 Nalgonda: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday inaugurated the Mahadevapuram lift irrigation scheme on the Wyra river in Madira mandal, Khammam district. Completed at a cost of Rs 12 crore, the project is designed to bring irrigation to more than 1,500 acres of farmland in the region.

Addressing a public meeting after the inaugural, Bhatti criticised the previous BRS government for taking massive loans in the name of building irrigation projects without expanding the state’s cultivable command area over its 10-year tenure. He said the current Congress administration was prioritising cost-effective projects that would deliver irrigation to larger areas with lower expenditure, especially in tail-end zones.

The Deputy CM also laid the foundation stone for a Rs 19 crore check dam under the Rayapatnam lift irrigation scheme on the river’s right bank, which aims to irrigate some 10,790 acres.

Bhatti highlighted the government’s balanced focus on development and welfare, noting that all pre-poll promises — including financial restructuring of the state — are being honoured. He cited flagship initiatives such as Indira Mahila Shakti, Indiramma Canteens and support schemes for women entrepreneurs setting up petrol bunks and rice mills, calling them vital for women’s empowerment.

On rural uplift, Bhatti said the Budget had increased allocations for infrastructure, agriculture support and improved education and health services, all geared toward enhancing living standards and driving socio-economic growth in villages.