Hyderabad, February 08: Former Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today launched a ‘padayatra’ from Ravulapalem in East Godavari district demanding that the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project be taken up immediately.
Highlighting the need for taking up the project, he said it would benefit not only the coastal districts but also Telangana and Rayalaseema as well.
The project was first mooted in 1940s with Bharat Ratna B R Ambedkar agreeing on the need to take it up but it still remained a dream, he said.
It was only late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who made sincere efforts to start the project, he added.
If the Centre does not give the funds for the project, why cannot the state government take it up on its own, the former MP asked.
Congress MP M Rajamohan Reddy, MLA P Subhash Chandra Bose, who are loyal to him, are among those who participated in the inaugural public meeting addressed by Jagan at Ravulapalem.
The state government has been making efforts to get national project status for the project which is proposed to be built at Polavaram town in West Godavari district.
All political parties, including Telugu Desam, Chiranjeevi’ s Praja Rajyam, have been agitating on getting national status for the Polavaram project.
The Polavaram project was conceived as a multipurpose scheme providing irrigation to 4.36 lakh hectares, water supply to towns and villages en route, and generating hydel power with an installed capacity of 960 MW. The project envisaged construction of an earth-cum-rockfill dam.
—PTI