The Chittoor district administration has focused on water conservation works this week, having grounded Rs.200 crore works under the Neeru-Chettu programme. Collector Siddharth Jain held a series of review meetings with officials of irrigation, water management, NREGS, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development on Wednesday and Thursday. Warning the officials for laxity in the works, the official said that a vital part of the year from January till March was wasted in most areas, as the targets reached below 25 per cent. He expressed displeasure at the tardy progress of the works in the Western mandals, particularly in Piler division, though the area happens to fall under the core belt of drought region. The Collector said that until and unless the works were expedited in desilting of tanks, the whole scheme of water conservation programme in the district would be in jeopardy. He observed that May should be utilised to the optimal levels on a war footing to reach the set target by June 15. Mr Jain said he would undertake thorough inspection of the ongoing works in the district, and the officials found to be lethargic would be taken to task.
Damage control
exercise
Of late, Anantapur district has seen at least a quarter of the Cabinet Ministers visiting the district, making promises to the farmers, especially those, who have lost their crops to the untimely rains.ý Starting with the two Ministers from the district - IT Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister Paritala Sunita, who stayed put in the district, keep pushing the officials for enumerating the estimated crop loss, Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinna Rajappa, Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao and Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas visited the fields of the farmers and made an effort to console them. While all of them took turns in drive the farmers to the point that the State government was deeply concerned about the people battling severe drought conditions and promised relief in less than 40 days, the farmers are sceptical on the farm loan waiver.
(With inputs from
K. Umashanker
and V. Rakesh Reddy)