Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the Irrigation Department officials to clear tank beds, feeder and supply channels of encroachments “mercilessly”, even if it requires assistance from the police.
During a day-long interaction with irrigation engineers here on Thursday, Mr Rao said that the government was examining the prospects of enacting a new legislation to strengthen the minor irrigation sector. He asked them to conduct a survey on the actual area of tank beds and a mandal-wise inventory of tanks as part of restoration of the water bodies.
To ensure the progress of “Restoration of Minor Irrigation Tanks” programme without any hitches, the government would set up a grievance cell in the Irrigation Minister’s office. It would be manned by an irrigation engineer, Shankar Prasad, with helpline number 76800-72440.
Further, Mr Rao said that laptops would be given to all mandal engineers for better monitoring of works. Responsibilities would be fixed on protection of tanks at the village level and the government would also examine setting up river valley authorities in Godavari and Krishna basins for development of minor irrigation systems.
On rationalisation of engineers and other staff in the department, the Chief Minister suggested that one Assistant Executive Engineer and two Work Inspectors each were posted in every mandal for proper execution of works. A cassette of songs on the tanks’ restoration programme was being prepared and it would include a song penned by him, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao stated.
