Completing 26 irrigation projects in AP on priority basis: Jagan

Nellore: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said they are finishing all 26 irrigation projects in the state on the priority basis. He formally inaugurated Mekapati Goutham Reddy Sangam Barrage at Sangam village on Tuesday. The Chief Minister also unveiled the statues of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and former Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy near the Sangam barrage.

He addressed the public and said both Sangam and Nellore barrage projects were laid foundation by his father and former Chief Minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy in 2006 and 2008 and said he is feeling proud of inaugurating and dedicating them to the nation. He said both projects were only anicuts during the British and there was no focus by any government till Dr YSR focused to modernize the dilapidated projects as part of prestigious Jala Yagnam programme.

He said they had spent Rs. 380 Cr for completing them, especially spending Rs. 200 Cr for taking up pending Sangam project which was utterly neglected by the Telugu Desam government. He criticized that TDP had spent only Rs. 30.5 Cr on Sangam project during their regime from 2014 to 2019 and they confined to collect commissions from the contractors after escalating the project cost.

Jagan Mohan Reddy said now these two projects are stabilizing 5 lakh acres of farming area in the region benefiting Atmakur, Kovur, Sarvepalli and Kavali constituencies. 3.85 lakh acres under Sangam barrage would benefit now, he added. The Chief Minister thanked the Almighty as there has been plenty of rain for the last four years in the state giving no scope for declaring drought mandals.

He said they had focused on completion of Nellore and Sangam barrage on priority basis allocating adequate funds for keeping the promise of late chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy despite facing problems of Covid and continuous floods to Penna River during 2020 and 2021. He later inaugurated the Nellore Barrage at Nellore on Tuesday that benefits around one lakh acres, after finishing inauguration at Sangam.

Further, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy approved the proposals of Atmakur MLA Vikram Reddy for an approach road with an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore, 12 irrigation works worth Rs. 40 Cr, Rs. 12 Cr for Atmakur municipality, connecting roads for 25 villages worth Rs 14 crore and Rs 4 crore for Sangam panchayat for water needs.

Former MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and his family members, legislator Mekapati Vikram Reddy, MPs Adala Prabhakar Reddy, V Prabhakar Reddy, B Mastan Rao, Ministers Ambati Rambabu, Kakani Govardhan Reddy, legislators, MLCs, local leaders, Collector Chakradhar Babu, senior officials, and people from the constituency participated in the event.