Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Special package sought for Telangana projects

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR JAN. 25. The member of the Rajya Sabha and the Communist Party of India National Executive Committee, Dasari Nagabhushanam, has asked the State Government to allocate a major share in the budget for the completion of pending irrigation projects in the Telangana region.

Talking to newsmen here on Saturday, Mr Nagabhushanam suggested that the Government announce a special package of Rs 2,500 crores for execution of irrigation projects in the Telangana region. Expressing concern over poor allocations to the irrigation sector in the Telangana and Rayalaseema region by the State Government in the proposed draft budget, he said that the Telangana region had been neglected by successive governments and suggested that the Government increase the allocations in the irrigation sector.

With regard to the Central Government's proposal for the linkage of th eGanga and the Cauvery, he said that the project was not feasible and urged the Government to accord priority to completion of pending irrigation projects. He said that the Centre had also constituted a task force on the linkage of rivers. The draft plan alone for the linkage of rivers would take six to eight years and project cost would escalate from the proposed Rs 5,40,000 crore to Rs 20,00,000 crore, he said.

He also called upon the State Government to utilise the surplus Godavari waters to provide irrigation facilities in the entire state. Stressing on the need for the unification of secular forces in the country, he said that the Left parties had decided to organise Jana Jagaran jatara in April to launch a campaign against communal forces. The district CPI secretary, Chada Venkat Reddy, the Chigurumamidi ZPTC member, K Shoba Rani and others were also present.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham State president, S Malla Reddy has alleged that the State Government's draft budget on the irrigation sector had neglected the Telangana region. Refuting the State Government's claim of major allocations to the Telangana in irrigation sector, he alleged that the government only allocates budget and would not spend any amount on the completion of the projects.

At a press meet here on Saturday, the Rythu Sangham leader said that the State Government had been allocating Rs 20 crore in the budget for the SRSP flood flow canal and not a single paisa was spent on the execution of the project. Out of the allocated Rs 150 crore for the SRSP second phase project during the last budget, the government had spent only Rs 15 crores, he noted.

He charged that the Government was neglecting the irrigation sector by taking up "unscientific Neeru-Meeru" and other water conservation programmes following the diktat of the World Bank. He demanded that the Government accord top priority to the execution of projects on the river Godavari if it was really committed to the development of the region.

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