KADAPA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has reiterated that his government is committed to transforming drought-prone Rayalaseema into a fertile region using the surplus water of Krishna and Godavari rivers, which are going waste into the sea.
Laying the foundation stone for various development works in Rayachoti constituency on Tuesday, the second day of his three-day visit to Kadapa district, Jagan said unlike the TDP government, which tried to use funding for Rayachoti, the most backward region in Rayalaseema, for political gain, his government has taken up development works worth Rs 2,000 crore.
“When Rayachoti municipal chairman approached the previous Chief Minister, he was asked to change the party and offered Rs 3 crore for the development of Rayachoti. Today, within six months of coming to power, our government, without being asked, has initiated development works worth over Rs 2,000 crore,” he said.
Stating that Rayachoti has a special place in his heart as people of the constituency has always stood by his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy and him, Jagan said his father initiated development projects including Velagallu project to address backwardness of the constituency, but after his demise, the chief ministers who succeeded him forgot Rayachoti and the situation was back to square one.
“Today, I am here to change all these,” he asserted.
Recalling his promise to people of Rayachoti to address drinking and irrigation water problems, the Chief Minister said he laid the foundation stone for Pamluru lift at 56th KM of GNSS in Vempalle mandal to take water to Kaletivagu Reservoir, whose capacity will be increased from 0.22 TMC to 1.22 TMC.
Two branch canals with 450 cusecs and 1,550 cusecs capacity, benefiting Chakrayapet, Lakkireddypalle and Ramapuram mandals will be taken to HNSS, from there to Velagallu reservoir and to Srinivasapuram reservoir in Rayachoti and from there to Adavipalle reservoir and from there to Piler and Chittoor Assembly constituencies in Chittoor district.
Linking GNSS with HNSS will negate the need for taking water from HNSS, which will benefit Madanapalle, Palamaner, Punganur, and Kuppam in Chittoor district. The entire project will be taken up at a cost of Rs 1,272 crore, he explained.
At a cost of Rs 86.5 crore, another lift scheme at Velagallu will be constructed to benefit Galivedu and Rayachoti and another lift scheme at Jarikona project at a cost of Rs 40 crore to benefit Sambepalle mandal.
“We will be spending Rs 340 crore for drinking water pipelines, underground drainage and road extensions in Rayachoti, far more than Rs 3 crore offered by the previous TDP government,” he said and added the Community Health Centre will be upgraded to 100-bed hospital at a cost of Rs 23 crore, new village/ward secretariats at Rs 11.55 crore, CC roads at Rs 15.52 crore, closed drainage system at Rs 31 crore and police station building at Rs 20 crore.
Jagan also sanctioned disputed four acres of land to Wakf Board and announced Rs 26 crore for the development of two minority welfare residential schools.
Rayachoti High School and Junior College playground will be developed by spending Rs 2 crore.
Pointing out at how the floodwater went waste during recent floods in Krishna river due to insufficient canal carrying capacity, Jagan blamed the previous TDP regime for it. Jagan said his government would take up canal expansion in a big way and divert Godavari surplus water to Penna River basin at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore.