Veligonda project: CM cheated people, alleges BJP

Dornala: The BJP fact-finding committee on the Pula Subbaiah Veligonda Project visited the tunnels, pylon, feeder canals, dam, and submerging villages, and interacted with the oustees in a tour of the area on Monday. The BJP leaders announced that they found several incomplete and substandard works in the project.

As per the earlier announcement, the State unit of the BJP formed a fact-finding committee comprising its chief spokesperson Lanka Dinakar, Ongole parliament president P V Sivareddy, national council member Sasanala Sarojini, state council members Sirasanagandla Srinivasulu, N Kalyana Chakravarthy, Assembly conveners of Yerragondapalem, Markapuram and Giddalur and other leaders.

After their visit to various places related to the P S Veligonda Project, and interaction with the oustees in the submerging villages, the committee members announced that the State government owed about Rs 1400 crore to the oustees as an R & R package.

They said that the government reduced the R&R bill by denying the package to about 1,500 people, citing various reasons. They said that the revetment works, distributary canals, and head regulator at Kollam Vagu of the project are still incomplete, but the Chief Minister dedicated it to the nation.

The members observed that it takes another three years to complete the works if they are executed on a war footing to provide safe drinking water to fluoride-affected people in Kanigiri, NIMZ, Donakonda Mega Industrial Hub, and irrigation water to 4.50 lakh acres and drinking water to 15 lakh people.

They said that the feeder canal was full of soil as the government neglected its maintenance. The fact finding committee members opined that dedicating a project without completing works is nothing but cheating the public elected government. They said that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cheated the people belonging to the drought-hit western region of Prakasam district, YSR and Nellore districts.