Kothagudem: CMO Secretary Smitha Sabharwal unhappy over delay in SRLIP works

Kothagudem: Secretary in Chief Minister's Office Smitha Sabharwal expressed unhappiness on the ongoing Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP) works in Aswapuram and Mulakalapalli mandals in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. On Friday, she visited the project site in BG Kottur village in Aswapuram, where the first pump house construction is going on, along with Principal Secretary, Irrigation Rajat Kumar, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and engineering officials.

Expressing her dissatisfaction over the work progress after inspecting the first pump house, she had instructed the officials to speed up the works and ensure dry trial run of two motors by the end of August. Chiding the officials when they will complete, if works are going on like this, she directed the agency and officials to complete the ongoing works by the end of December.

Later, they visited VK Ramavaram village and visited pump house construction site in Mulakalapalli mandal.

Speaking to the media, Principal Secretary, Irrigation Rajat Kumar said works got delayed as some machinery from China didn't reach and labour problems due to Covid-19. But now, they have sorted out all issues and gave some suggestions and guidelines to the officials and contract agencies to overcome the delay, he stated. Rajat gave some instructions to the officials to complete acquisition of the remaining land by the end of July and said, "We planned to conduct a dry run by the end of August".

Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar said about three lakh acres new and existing three lakh acres could be irrigated once this project is completed. Dry run of two motors is planned by the end of August and wet run by the end of December, he added.

District Collectors RV Karnan (Khammam) and MV Reddy (Bhadradri-Kothagudem) and other officials have accompanied the officials.