Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has said that efforts were on to complete 46 irrigation projects under Jalayagnam programme to provide water for another 30 lakh acres this year.
Describing the programme as very ambitious and incredible, he said when it was undertaken many people had made sarcastic comments over it, but as the time gone by it started yielding good results. Thus, many projects, including Ali Sagar and Gutpa in the district, were complete and provided water to 22 lakh acres, he said.
Participating in the ‘Rythu Sadassu’ here on Monday, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that all-out efforts were being made to get the Pranahitha-Chevella and the Polavaram irrigation projects as national projects by exerting pressure on the Centre. “We all, including the MPs, would try to convince the Prime Minister and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to accord national project status to the twin projects”, he said.
Once the Pranahitha-Chevella project is completed, it would turn the entire Telangana into greenary providing water to 16 lakh acres. It will also feed industries besides catering to drinking water needs of the twin cities. Over 3 lakh acres in Nizamabad will get water from it, he said.
When the Minister for Major Irrigation P. Sudarshan Reddy, who presided over the meeting, urged him to sanction another Rs. 150 crore for modernising distributaries and subdistributaries of Nizam Sagar project, the Chief Minister responded positively and asked him to send all the proposals relating to irrigation and developmental works in the district for perusal and acceptance.
Mr. Kiran Reddy conceded the demands to sanction Rs.10 crore to Telangana University, Rs. 35 crore for Government Medical College in Nizamabad, a polytechnic college for Bodhan constituency, and so on.
Earlier, he laid the foundation stone for three drinking water schemes costing about Rs. 34 crore for Jukkal Assembly constituency.
Agricultural Minister K. Lakshminarayana, Government Whip E. Anil and MP Madhu Goud also spoke.
