Minister for Irrigation P. Anil Kumar moved a demand for grant of ₹13,113.76 crore for major, medium and minor irrigation in the Assembly on Thursday.
A day after closure of discussion on the budget, the Ministers for Irrigation, Energy, and R&B moved demands for grants for their respective departments.
While Energy Minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy sought a grant of ₹6,867.90 crore to meet expenses, R&B Minister Dharmana Krishna Das sought a grant of ₹6,082.50 crore. Mr. Anil Kumar moved two separate demands, one for grant of ₹12,236.86 crore for major and medium irrigation sectors and another ₹876.91 crore for minor irrigation sector.
The government aimed at creating a new ayacut of 34.42 lakh acres by completing the ongoing major and medium irrigation projects, and provide drinking water to people of the State.
Outlay for Polavaram
The largest outlay of ₹20,986.83 crore was shown for the Polavaram project consisting of three components – Polavaram project, Polavaram Right Main Canal Lift at Pattiseema and Polavaram Left Main Canal Lift at Pattiseema – but no break-up in grant was given.
The outlays shown to other important projects weer Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi ₹14,934.18 crore, Galeru-Nagari Sujala Sravanthi ₹8,887.83 crore, Poola Subbaiah Veligonda Project ₹5,564.22 crore, and Chintalapudi Lift Irrigation Scheme ₹4,909.80 crore.
Several YSRCP MLAs said the TDP government, despite its tall claims, had failed to complete the irrigation projects that had been launched by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
They endorsed Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s friendly relations with the neighbouring States to resolved the river water disputes.
Rapthadu YSRCP MLA T. Prakash Reddy said 224 farmers had committed suicide, and over 4.23 lakh people migrated to the neighbouring States in search of livelihood. When a case of a Telugu person seeking alms in Kerala was taken to the notice of the former Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, he had responded in an “insensitive manner,” the MLA alleged. Mylavaram MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad demanded a thorough inquiry into the corruption in the irrigation projects.
TDP MLA K. Atchannaidu cautioned the government against undertaking a project to take Godavari water to Srisailam reservoir in the boundaries of Telangana.
Intervening, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said the Tungabhadra project was not in Andhra Pradesh, but the downstream State gets maximum benefit.
Similarly, the cheapest way to take Godavari water to Srisailam had to be considered, he said.
TDP MLA N. Rama Naidu said the erstwhile Congress government had taken 10 years to complete only 10% of the Polavaram project. On the other hand, the TDP government was able to complete over 70% of the work in just five years, he added. Farmers were worried that another three years would be required for completion of the Polavaram project.
Mr. Anil Kumar said the Polavaram Project Authority said it would require three years. The idea of sending water by gravity was impractical, he said.
