Former Minister Mandali Buddha Prasad, who was on fast at Avanigadda for release of water from Nagarajuna Sagar Project for irrigation of the Kharif crop in Krishna Delta, called it off on Tuesday after Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy spoke to him on telephone and assured him that the interests of the delta farmers would be protected.
Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Buddha Prasad said the Chief Minister assured him that water would be released from Nagarjuna Sagar first for the filling of drinking water tanks and then for irrigation.
The Chief Minister also told him that the Major Irrigation Minister would release a statement on this in Hyderabad.
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Mr. Buddha Prasad was given lime juice by former Minister Gade Venkata Reddy, who came to express solidarity with his former Cabinet colleague’s cause.
Leaders from Guntur district Repalle MLA Devineni Mallikarjuna Rao, MLC Rayapati Srinivas and former MLA L. Eswara Rao, leaders from Krishna district MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah, and MLAs Malladi Vishnu, Jogi Ramesh, Velampalli Srinivas, former Minister Devineni Rajasekhar, CPI leader and All India Kisan Sabha vice-president Kolli Nageswara Rao, Samata party leader V.V. Krishna Rao and Farmers Federation leader Akkineni Bhavani Prasad were present when Mr. Buddha Prasad ended his fast.