Anantapur, April 20: Former MLA Thopudurthi Prakash Reddy launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, that irrigation projects under his leadership have become avenues for financial exploitation rather than delivering water to farmers. Addressing the media at his residence in Anantapur, he stated that while late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy envisioned projects as lifelines for farmers, Chandrababu has reduced them to instruments for diverting public funds to contractors and benamis. He recalled that the Handri Neeva project, originally designed with a capacity of 40 TMCs for irrigation and drinking water, was earlier reduced to 5 TMCs during Chandrababu’s tenure, calling it a historic injustice to Rayalaseema.
Prakash Reddy stated that the ongoing Phase-2 concrete lining works in Handri Neeva across Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, and Chittoor districts have severely damaged groundwater recharge, resulting in nearly 40,000 farmers losing their borewell water sources. He stated that earlier, canal seepage helped recharge groundwater, but the current concrete lining—executed with poor quality—has blocked this natural process, pushing farmers into distress. He further alleged that these works were undertaken not for irrigation efficiency but to benefit contractors, with over Rs. 700 crore of public money siphoned off under the guise of canal works. He questioned whether the government has the courage to order an impartial probe into these substandard works, noting that in several places the concrete lining has already collapsed at over 100 points upon water release.
He also accused the government of massive corruption in Amaravati construction, alleging that while standard construction costs are around Rs. 4,000 per square foot, the government is inflating costs up to Rs. 14,000 per square foot, leading to an estimated scam of nearly Rs. 10,000 crore. On irrigation neglect, he pointed out that despite the feasibility of supplying water to Peruru dam at low cost through the Penna river, the current government has failed to act, whereas the previous government under Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had constructed a 60 km canal and ensured water supply for three years. Even after two years in power, the coalition government has not taken steps to supply water through the Madakasira branch canal, ignoring repeated requests from local representatives.
He concluded that the government’s priority is not farmers but contractor commissions, and warned that farmers will not forgive a regime that blocks irrigation, destroys groundwater, and indulges in large-scale corruption. He demanded an immediate inquiry into the canal works, stating that ministers and MLAs who failed to provide irrigation water have no moral right to continue in office and should resign if they cannot ensure justice to farmers.
*YS Jagan pays tributes to Kasu Brahmananda Reddy*
