Kamalapuram YSR Congress MLA P. Raveendranatha Reddy announced his resolve to launch an indefinite hunger strike at Veerapunayunipalle mandal headquarters in Kadapa District on February 25 demanding adequate budgetary allocation to expedite Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi (GNSS) project work.
An outlay of Rs. 2,700 crore was required for completion of GNSS project, Rs.1,400 crore for works in Kadapa District and Rs.400 crore for works in Kurnool District and Rs.19 crore for canal works to supply one tmc of water from Sarvarayasagar to Papaghni river, neighbouring districts, Mr. Raveendranatha Reddy, maternal uncle of YSRC President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, told a media conference at Kamalapuram.
The Gandikota and Sarvarayasagar reservoirs were incomplete owing to paucity of funds, he said and lamented that ground water was unavailable even at a depth of 1,300 feet. Budgetary allocation of at least Rs. 1,400 crores would help complete works in Kadapa district to mitigate irrigation and drinking water scarcity, he added.
He demanded completion of Gandikota and Vamikonda reservoirs and filling of Sarvarayasagar with water under GNSS to augment drinking water and irrigation in Kamalapuram, Veerapunayunipalle, Pendlimarry and Chintakommadinne mandals in Kamalapuram constituency.
The MLA assured people of raising the issue in the ensuing Legislative Assembly session slated from March 7 to draw the Government’s attention. The YSRC’s Kamalapuram mandal unit convenor Uttama Reddy, farmers’ wing convenor S. Prasada Reddy, and leaders CS. Narayana Reddy, M.V.R. Subba Reddy, N.C. Pulla Reddy, M. Srinivasa Reddy and Krishna Reddy participated.