The State Assembly Committee on Assurances on Thursday took the officials to task for the delay in executing some of the assurances made to the House by Ministers.
Committee Chairman Pendurthi Venkatesh grilled the officials over the “inordinate delay” in completion of a minor irrigation project across the Paleru river though administrative sanction had been given in the year 2011 itself for acquiring 87.38 acres of land. It was unfortunate the farmers could not irrigate their land though the headworks had been completed in 2009 itself for want of canal system, he observed.
Keeping the proceedings pending for necessary action from the officials concerned, the Chairman exhorted them to speed up all pending irrigation projects in tune with the government’s policy of ensuring irrigation water to the maximum number of farmers. The issue assumed more importance in view of recurring drought in the district, he added.
The officials drew flak for using only about 160 of the 549 acres in government possession for production of certified seeds for farmers at Chinnapavani village. Committee members P. Govindu Satyanarayana and V. Jogeswara Rao wanted the officials to go for micro irrigation systems and promote horticulture crops and social forestry plantations, most suited for this drought-prone district.
The committee members expressed concern over the prolonged delay in freeing 77 housing sites from encroachment in the Kandukur Municipality even after the High Court clearing the decks. They wanted the civic officials to expedite takeover of the government land in question and kept the proceedings relating to the assurance pending.
