The minister said that constructive criticism by opposition parties was welcome, but baseless allegations for political gain were unacceptable
Nalgonda: Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Monday alleged that there was no difference between the BJP and BRS, as both parties were targeting the Congress government using the same script. Leaders of one party were reading out lines prepared by the other, he claimed.
Speaking to the media after inspecting the ongoing works on a 17-km-long retaining wall along the Munneru stream in Khammam, being built at a cost of Rs 680 crore to prevent flooding, the minister said that constructive criticism by opposition parties was welcome, but baseless allegations for political gain were unacceptable. He accused the BJP and BRS of working in tandem to tarnish the image of the state government.
He also criticised the previous BRS government for its failure to provide irrigation facilities through the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme (SLIS) in Khammam district, citing it as evidence of its lack of sincerity towards farmers.
Srinivas Reddy stated that the Congress government’s Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) policy ensures land-to-land compensation for project oustees. However, for the retaining wall works to Munneru, monetary compensation was being extended temporarily to those whose lands had been acquired.
Earlier in the day, distributing the cheques of Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to the beneficiaries at a programme held at Tirumalayapalem in Khammam district, he reiterated the government’s commitment to support the poor despite financial constraints, adding that efforts were underway to make quality education and healthcare accessible to all. He noted that `1,056 crore had been sanctioned under CMRF to selected beneficiaries over the past year.
He further assured that Indiramma houses would be sanctioned to all eligible families in a phased manner. Distribution of new ration cards to selected eligible families would begin in the last week of May, he announced. Later, the minister laid foundation stones for additional classrooms at the Zilla Parishad High School in Gopaigudem, to be constructed with `13.5 lakh from the special development fund (SDF). He also inaugurated internal CC roads in SC colonies at Medidapally and Erragadda in Khammam district.
