Congress Govt To Finish Pending Irrigation Projects, Says Uttam

Nalgonda: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday said that all lift irrigation schemes taken up in the erstwhile Nalgonda district would be completed soon to provide irrigation facilities to tail-end areas.

Along with roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the irrigation minister laid the foundation stone for a four-lane road from Shettipalem to Avantipuram in Miryalaguda, taken up at a cost of ₹74 crore.

Addressing meetings organised on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state government was committed to providing irrigation to all cultivable land in Telangana by completing all pending irrigation projects, including lift irrigation schemes. He said 17 lift irrigation schemes taken up on the left canal of the Nagarjunasagar Project, including five in the Miryalaguda Assembly constituency, would be completed soon to ensure water reaches the tail-end areas.

He said the state government has sanctioned ₹57 crore for lining the NSP main canal in the Miryalaguda constituency. In addition, ₹24 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of check dams at Dubba Thanda, Shantinagar and Ravulapenta, and ₹20 crore for feeder channel works.

Stating that the Congress government accords top priority to the welfare of the poor, he said Telangana is the only state supplying fine rice to ration card holders. He added that the government has issued new ration cards and is allowing the inclusion of new family members in existing cards to ensure more families benefit. He criticised the previous BRS government for failing to issue new ration cards during its 10-year rule, which affected lakhs of poor families.

He reiterated that the government would purchase every grain of paddy brought to procurement centres and deposit payments into farmers’ bank accounts within 72 hours.

Asserting the government’s commitment to the welfare of all sections, he said the state was determined to provide 42 per cent reservation to Backward Classes in education, employment and political opportunities.

Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said ₹250 crore has been sanctioned for Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) roads in the Miryalaguda constituency. He added that tenders would soon be called for HAM road works worth ₹450 crore in the Nagarjunasagar constituency and ₹350 crore in the Devarakonda constituency.

The ministers also inaugurated a sewage canal in Miryalaguda constructed at a cost of ₹16 crore.

Nalgonda MP Kunduru Raghurama Reddy, Miryalaguda MLA Bathula Laxma Reddy, MLC Shanker Naik and District Collector Ila Tripati also attended the programme.