Kurnool, Jan 6: YSR Congress Party leaders from Rayalaseema on Monday demanded the immediate resumption of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project, asserting that it was Chandrababu Naidu’s responsibility to secure environmental clearances and deliberately stalling the works to deny credit to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. A delegation of senior leaders, including Nandyal district president Katasani Rambhupal Reddy, Kurnool district president S.V. Mohan Reddy, former minister Sake Sailajanath, MLCs Shivarami Reddy, P. Ramasubba Reddy and Kalpalatha Reddy, former MLAs Shilpa Chakrapani Reddy and Shilpa Ravichandra Kishore Reddy, and Nandikotkur constituency coordinator Dara Sudheer, inspected the project site at Jupadu Bungala mandal and addressed the media.
They strongly objected to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s statement in the Assembly that the Rayalaseema Lift works were stopped at his request, and demanded that Chandrababu Naidu immediately clarify what understandings were reached in closed-door meetings with the Telangana government. They pointed out that nearly 85 percent of the project was completed during the YSRCP government’s tenure, but not a single step had moved forward even after 19 months of the TDP-led coalition government. They said the repeated excuse of “lack of environmental clearances” had now been exposed as false, and that Revanth Reddy’s remarks had laid bare a conspiracy to halt the project only because it would bring goodwill to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
YSRCP leaders recalled that the project was launched on May 5, 2020, to permanently address drought in Rayalaseema by lifting floodwater that otherwise goes waste into the sea, and that YS Jagan had consistently maintained that Andhra Pradesh was only drawing its legitimate share of water. They alleged that Chandrababu Naidu, fearing political credit to Jagan, got cases filed through Telangana leaders in the National Green Tribunal to obstruct the project, and had even compromised Rayalaseema’s interests to protect himself in political and legal matters. They warned that if works are not restarted immediately, YSRCP will launch a mass movement along with farmers, farmer unions, and irrigation experts.
The leaders emphasized that without assured water, neither agriculture nor industry can survive in Rayalaseema, and that stalling the project is equivalent to pushing the region into permanent drought and unemployment. They demanded that Chandrababu Naidu take responsibility for obtaining approvals, restart the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project without delay, disclose the details of his alleged understandings with Revanth Reddy, and apologise to the people of Rayalaseema for betraying the region’s interests.
YSRCP flays coalition for double standards
