Irrigation minister urged to visit Veligonda project

Ongole: The Communist Party of India Prakasam district secretary ML Narayana said that the Irrigation Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu had assured their delegation that he would soon visit the Veligonda Project, and engage with displaced people to discuss their issues. He said that the minister also committed to work towards allocating adequate funds for the complete construction of the Veligonda Project.

A delegation from the CPI, led by the state secretary K Ramakrishna met the irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu at the Irrigation Department office in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

They submitted a memorandum to the minister, requesting full funding for the Veligonda Project’s construction. Ramakrishna emphasised the project’s importance, stating that its completion would alleviate drought in 36 mandals across erstwhile Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts.

He added that it would also solve drinking water problems for a million people. He informed the minister that while 80% of the project has been completed in the 28 years since its foundation stone was laid by then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in 1996, critical work remains unfinished. This includes lining work for a 5-kilometre stretch in the second tunnel, which is estimated to cost around Rs 800 crore, he highlighted. He also explained the plight of 7,500 displaced persons from 11 submerged villages, stating that approximately Rs 1,000 crore are needed for their rehabilitation and resettlement. He said that the minister also assured that irrigation water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal would be provided to the last farmland in the Prakasam district, addressing concerns about limited water distribution.

CPI leaders, including AP Rythu Sangham State President Gujjula Eswaraiah, district secretary K Veerareddy, CPI district committee member Venkatarao, and others were part of the delegation that met the irrigation minister.