Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao and Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageshwar Rao today expressed discontent at the slow pace of Sitha Rama project works in Bhadradri Kothagudem district and directed the officials to expedite the same.
The project aims to irrigate 6 lakhs of acres in the district and works should be speeded up, they said. At a review meeting here, the two ministers pulled up the officials for delay in executing the works and instructed t them o speed up to complete on time. Effective coordination with officials and staff will yield expected results and focus should be shifted on this they said. The ministers reviewed on land acquisition, permissions of forest and environment, pump house canals and related works in the meeting.
Launching three out of eight packages of Sitha Rama project and asking to make agreement to start the rest, Harish asked the officials to give a report in 15 days on the pump house and other works to be taken up with a plan of action. The minister directed irrigation special chief secretary SK Joshi to acquire land, provide compensation immediately to the land owners and take up works of grounding and get forest and environment permissions. He also asked for active coordination with revenue department for speedy acquisition of the lands for the project and provide an alternate lands to it, he said.
Complete Udaya Samudram by Dec
The Irrigation Minister sought the officials to work 24 hours to complete Udaya Samudram by December. Directing that the project will irrigate 50000 acres and fill up 60 lakes under the project he asked for completing the land acquisition works in 15 days for Dindi Balancing reservoir, Pendlipakala reservoir. So far 5000 acres land acquired against the target of 9800 acres for this and work agencies and officials should coordinate for expeditious works. He also asked the irrigation officials to supply waters to irrigate one lakh acres in Khammam district by completing all the works of 19 lifts under Nagarjuna Sagar. He also vouched for adopting tail to head method which was successful in SRSP project for speedy completion of the works in every sub division.(NSS)