CM out to cheat western Prakasam again, alleges TDP

Ongole: TDP Prakasam district unit called Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to inaugurate a pylon announcing the completion of the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project as another attempt to cheat the people from the western region of the district.

The Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project is envisioned to provide irrigation water to 4.473 lakh acre and 15.25 lakh people in the 30 mandals of the erstwhile Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts. The then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation for the project on October 27, 2004, and the construction was taken up in two phases. The Chief Minister is slated to visit the district on March 6 to unveil the pylon.

The estimates for the completion of the project increased from Rs 765 crore to Rs 8,052.10 crore through various GOs. As part of the construction of the project, the contractors have already filled in the gaps of the hills at Sunkesula, Gottipadiya and Kakarla to form a reservoir, completed the boring of Tunnel I and Tunnel II, dug the feeder canal, Gottipadiya canal along with some other works. The Chief Minister will be visiting the project to inaugurate a pylon to mark the completion of the project and to appreciate the engineers and staff.

However, TDP Ongole parliamentary president Dr Nukasani Balaji alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy is trying to cheat the locals by claiming that the project is complete. He said that the government didn’t complete the rehabilitation colonies, didn't shift the villagers, and even did not complete the Teegaleru Head Regulator and Eastern Main Canal works.

He said that the engineers informed him that they need to have a continuous flood to the Srisailam project for 10 days, to fill the Veligonda reservoir up to the dead storage of 10 tmc feet on gravity through Tunnel I and Tunnel II.

Balaji said that even if the government wants to pump the water to the project through motors, they need to evacuate the people waiting for the R&R package and living in some of the submerging villages.

He said that it is due to the lenience given by Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Telangana government constructed the Palamuru- Rangareddy Lift Irrigation scheme above Srisailam on Krishna river and Sirsailam won’t be having any flood to fill Veligonda up to the dead storage in near future.

After shattering the dreams of people in the drought-hit area of erstwhile Prakasam, Nellore and Kadapa districts, the Chief Minister is trying to convince them that the project is complete and they will get water to agriculture and drinking needs this summer, he said.

Balaji alleged that in a hurry to convince that he had kept his promise, the Chief Minister is trying to cheat the public as he did already at Kuppam last week. He advised the public to demand the Chief Minister to give water first, then another pylon in the drought-hit region.