Ambati Rambabu fumes at charge of 'defunct' lift schemes

Vijayawada: Irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu alleged that Opposition chief N Chandrababu Naidu and a section of media was resorting to 'false campaign' on irrigation sector.

Speaking to media at party central office at Tadepalli on Wednesday, the minister said the reports that 250 lift irrigation schemes were not working due to lack of maintenance and shortage of funds were not true.

He said there are 1,032 lift irrigation schemes in the state and the responsibility of their maintenance was given to the societies formed with the farmers of those ayacuts. Some of the schemes were not functioning properly due to lack of leadership in these societies, he said and slammed a vernacular publication for holding the present government responsible for it.

Rambabu said the report has stated that Donekallu lift irrigation scheme was started in 1989 and closed in the same year, questioning how could possibly Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy be responsible for it. He strongly condemned the allegations that Ontimitta-Srirama lift irrigation scheme has been of no use and said it is completely false and explained that water will be pumped from Somasila project into pond and water will be released for drinking and irrigation purposes from there through gravity and the motors would have been stopped as the pond is full.

The irrigation minister said the state government has been committed to the welfare of the farmers and thus planning to give water for three crops by releasing it early. He said TDP leaders Naidu and Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao were responsible for damage of diaphragm wall and the state government is in discussions with Central Water Commission and there will be a conclusion to this problem in two to three months.