CPI vows long struggle for completion of projects

Tirupati: CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said a long drawn struggle will be taken up by the party for completion of unfinished irrigation projects in the state.

He was speaking to the media after visiting the foundation stone which was laid at Tarakarama Nagar in Renigunta mandal about 35 years ago for Galeru-Nagari project which was supposed to supply water for 1.03 lakh acre in former Chittoor district on Thursday. He said not even a single irrigation project or canal was completed in the four-year YSRCP rule.

He stated that he was visiting the unfinished projects in the districts from February 13 to 22 along with party leaders in order to submit a report to both the Centre and state governments, thereby pressuring to complete the projects.

In this connection, he said that GO 365 brought by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in 2020 stopping the works of pending irrigation projects and cancelling the projects that were completed less than 20 per cent works, dealt a death blow to the projects, particularly in Rayalaseema, including the erstwhile Chittoor district affecting the Telugu Ganga, Galeru-Nagari and Handri-Niva.

He criticised the CM for remaining silent on the Upper Bhadra project in Karnataka, for which the Union government allocated funds in the budget this year, which would prove detrimental to the projects in Rayalaseema.

Informing that the party after completion of the study of all the pending projects will conduct a round-table with officials, experts and political leaders on the pending projects in Vijayawada before preparing the report, he wanted the state government to at least now allocate more funds in the budget this year for the projects.

The CPI leader also visited Mallemadu and Balaji reservoir which have also been pending for a long and later spoke with Telugu Ganga project officials on the pending works.

Earlier, Ramakrishna came in a motorcycle procession taken out by the party from Tirupati to visit the projects in Renigunta mandal.

Party leaders, including state secretariat member Haranatha Reddy, district secretary Murali and others were present.