Chandrababu's Priority Contracts, Not Welfare

Uravakonda (Ananthapuram dist), Feb 6: Leader of Opposition YS Jagan has said that Chandrababu Naidu has been showing more interest in contractors and the eventual kickbacks and has never been keen on completing irrigation projects unlike YSR who gushed in major projects to provide water to the parched Rayalaseema region.

Participating in the farmers’ dharna demanding Hundri-Neva water to the district, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said here on Monday that YSR has completed nearly 90 % of the works on the project which is a major water source to the region while Chandrababu Naidu has been delaying it and even in his three years in office did not release adequate funds for completion of the project.

‘The 10 % works include the building of distributor canal which would cater to the irrigation needs of the locals and in this Uravakonda constituency itself 80,000 acres of land would be irrigated. During his previous term of nine years as well Chandrababu has released only Rs 24 crores which took care of salaries and other overheads. Not a single lift or one kilometer of canal was dug during his term but he has attended two foundation stone laying functions of the project in the pre-election phase.

To complete the project, the funds needed would be around Rs 2,000 crores but the State has released Rs 100 cores in 2014-15 followed by Rs 380 crore 
and Rs 504 crores in the subsequent years which were not even sufficient for the overheads, including power charges, he said.

Chandrababu Naidu is interested only in kickbacks as the package no 36 which had pending works of Rs 35 crores was cancelled and given to his favoured person with a revised estimate of Rs 363 crore. In the Galeru-Nagari project as well Rs 11 crores works were pending and the re-estimate was escalated to Rs 110 crores to favour his coterie.

‘While this is the reality he stakes false claims on the project. It was during YSR term Rs 4,000 crores were released and 90 % of the works were completed but Chandrababu Naidu visits the project site and poses for photo-ops and talks tall. In 2012 while Kiran Kumar Reddy was Chief Minister the project was inaugurated and was dedicated to the nation. Chandrababu Naidu now comes, cuts the ribbon and poses for photos claiming that he has completed the project. Visweswara Reddy has been on dharna seeking the completion of distributor canal which provides water to 1.18 lakh acres in Ananthapur district,’ he said.

YSR during his term has started works of Pothireddypadi head regulator to fight drought of the region and completed 85 % of works and the remaining 15 % works are not completed even now. If YSR was alive the project and many others would have been completed by 2012. After his death the void was not filled by anyone, he said.

Ananthapur farmers are migrating as they lost hope which is a shame on part of the government. Even the rural employment guarantee scheme is not being implemented properly. He has a qualm for farmers, women, students and youth and his promise to weavers was never kept.

Chandrababu is synonym to drought and he always talks tall but does little work for welfare as his priorities lie elsewhere and he can compromise with 
anyone for his selfish ends, be it Modi or KCR and give us two years time. We will soon drive the drought away.


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