The misleading campaign unleashed by YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy against Pattiseema lift irrigation project betrayed his lack of understanding about the scheme and the benefits it would bestow on the drought prone Rayalaseema region, said Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor, Communications, Government of Andhra Pradesh, here on Saturday.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, who did not bother to take out time to meet the Central team that came to visit drought-affected districts however rushed to Delhi and misrepresented the facts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the sole intention of scuttling the Pattiseema project.
Criticising Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s charge that Pattiseema would come in the way of Polavaram project, he said it was a ridiculous argument. He wondered how one could create hurdles for the mega Polavaram multipurpose project that would make State drought-proof. Pattiseema Lift Irrigation project would serve Rayalaseema till Polavaram project is ready.
“By taking 80 tmc of water to Rayalaseema, government can prevent suicides of farmers, migration of people for work, save cattle and irrigate 50 lakh to 60 lakh acres and give livelihood to lakhs of families. Pattiseema would give relief to Rayalaseema region within one year where water table dropped to 1500 ft,” he said. People should think whose interests Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was protecting by opposing Pattiseema project, he said.
Referring to Mr. Jagan’s allegations that the 17.5 per cent incentive promised to the bidder was not in the tender document, Mr. Prabhakar said government neither promised incentive nor bonus. However, it mentioned in the tender document that it would release the excess 17 per cent amount only if the lift irrigation project was completed within one year. Otherwise the bidder would forego the excess amount.
Misleading campaign unleashed by YSRC chief against Pattiseema lift project shows his lack of understanding about the benefits of project.
Parakala Prabhakar,
Advisor (Communications)
