CM offers Jala Harati to Krishna at Srisailam

Srisailam(Nandyal district): Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said that despite meagre funds the state is carrying out its financial commitments with the help of Union government. He offered Jala Harati to River Krishna at Srisailam dam on Thursday. The CM who arrived at Srisailam at 11.10 am, first visited the temple where he offered prayers to Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi.

Later, he visited the project site and offered Jala Harati. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said good days have come and Srisailam dam is brimming with water in July itself after a span of 20 years. The aim of the government is to make ensure Rayalaseema a drought-free region, he said.

Naidu said it was the dream of the then Chief Minister and party founder N T Rama Rao to make use of waters of Krishna and surplus waters fully. “Water from Telugu Ganga would be first supplied to Rayalaseema region before supplying to Tamil Nadu. Handri-Neeva and Nagari projects have been completed by me,” he said.

Accusing the YSRCP government of neglecting irrigation projects in Rayalaseema, the Chief Minister said while TDP government was in power it had spent Rs 69,000 crore for the farmers but the Jagan Mohan Reddy government hardly spent Rs 19,000 crore. During TD government, the five years budget was Rs 7 lakh crore whereas it was Rs 12 lakh crore under the YSRCP government. But of the Rs. 12 lakh crore budget, the previous government spent only Rs 4,400 crore for Rayalaseema projects as against Rs 13,600 crore per year during TDP rule,” he said.

On Handri-Neeva and Galeru Nagari projects, Naidu said the TDP government had spent Rs 5,520 crore on Handri-Neeva Sujala Srvanthi (HNSS) and Rs 2,056 crore to Galeru Nagari. But the YSRCP government spent only Rs 515 crores to HNSS and Rs 448 crore to Galeru Nagari Sujala Srvanthi (GNSS).

Stating that every acre will be given water, he called upon farmers to utilise water in a proper manner to cultivate crops. He assured to transform Rayalaseema into ‘Ratanalaseema’. Major industries would be set up in the region to generate employment and revenue. If industries are brought, the region will prosper and people would get employment, he added.

Naidu visited the right bank power plant and inspected the conditions. The dam superintending engineer Sri Ramachandra Murthy briefed the him about the irrigation projects. Later, he left for Anantapur.

Ministers for law and justice, roads and buildings, NMD Farooq and B C Janardhan Reddy, collector G Raja Kumari, MP, MLAs and others accompanied the Chief Minister.