Former Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yerneni Sita Devi on Wednesday said Pulichintala and Polavaram projects should be under complete control of Andhra instead of the Central Water Commission. “We asked for Mellacheruvu mandal as a compensation for Munagala and Lingagiri parganas, but the Congress ignored it,” she told a press conference here.
Ms. Sita Devi, who is probable BJP candidate for the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency, lashed out at the UPA Government at the Centre for what she called ‘cheating Andhra’ by including only seven mandals and not the whole Bhadrachalam division. “We have lost 12 Assembly and two Parliamentary segments. What’s the big deal about giving one Assembly segment to us? Moreover, KCR, who had repeatedly asked for pre-1956 Telangana, is now talking of going to court,” she pointed out.
She said that the BJP was sure to wrest power at the Centre in this elections and it would merge the entire Bhadrachalam division, Aswaraopeta constituency and Mallacheruvu mandal with Andhra under Article 3.
Referring to ‘indiscriminate encroachments’ at Kolleru lake under Congress rule, she sought immediate steps for their removal and mooted construction of a regulator to prevent salt water intrusion in summer from the Upputeru river.
Ms. Sita Devi said the BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi at the Centre, would integrate rail and road transport, including a metro, in the master plan. A new railway zone comprising the Vijayawada, Waltair, Guntur and Guntakal divisions could be set up while Gunadala, Gannavaram and Nambur stations could be expanded.
