KTR Plans Pada Yatra From Kodad To Haliya If NS Left Canal Water Schedule Is Not Released By Sept. 14

BRS working president Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao on Thursday announced that he would undertake a pada yatra from Kodad to Haliya along the ayacut of the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal with farmers if the government failed to publish a schedule for water release to the canal from the Nagarjunasagar Project by September 14.

Addressing a Maha Dharna organised by the BRS against the Congress government’s 1,000 days of “failures in the agriculture sector” at the NSP Quarters Ground in Miryalaguda, Rama Rao said the issue would also be raised during the Assembly Session from September 7.

The protest was attended by farmers from the Kodad, Huzurnagar and Miryalaguda Assembly constituencies. Rama Rao recalled that the BRS president had undertaken a pada yatra from Kodad to Haliya in 2003, demanding water release to the NSP Left Canal. He said he would follow in his father’s footsteps if the government failed to announce the schedule by September 14.

Rama Rao said farmers in the NSP Left Canal ayacut had earlier relied on irrigation facilities during the previous BRS government but were now uncertain about water supply to save their drying crops.

He said 50tmc of water was received by the NSP through power generation at the Srisailam power generation station before its gates were lifted during the previous BRS government. The water was then released into the Nagarjuna Sagar Left Canal for irrigation, he said.

Rao criticised Nalgonda district ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy over their reported statement that water would not be released to the NSP Left Canal for agricultural purposes. He alleged that the Congress government had failed to manage irrigation projects, resulting in problems in the ayacut.

He alleged that the state government was not releasing water to the Left Canal despite the NSP water level being at 537 feet. He also alleged that Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy was allowing Andhra Pradesh to divert Krishna water to the Veligonda Project and Pothireddypadu head regulator as a political favour to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Rama Rao alleged that Revanth Reddy was reluctant to speak against Naidu because of the possibility of the “vote-for-cash” case being revived.

Displaying visuals of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy speaking on the Rythu Declaration made at Warangal in 2022, Rao alleged that the Congress government had failed to fulfil its 34 promises to farmers.

He said payment of Rythu Bandhu for three crop seasons was still pending for farmers and that the promise of Rythu Bharosa for tenant farmers had not been fulfilled. He also alleged that the promised `12,000 annual financial assistance to landless agricultural labourers had not been implemented.

Rama Rao recalled that K. Chandrasekhar Rao had cautioned people against voting for the Congress during the Assembly elections, warning that it would create problems for them. However, people voted for the Congress in the hope that it would fulfil its six guarantees, which he said comprised 420 promises.

He called upon people to participate in agitations to be organised by the BRS over the alleged failures of the Congress government and said Chandrasekhar Rao would continue to support the people of Telangana.

Earlier, Chandrasekhar Rao participated in a rally from Adhanki Bypass Road to the NSP Quarters Ground and greeted people gathered along the route.