Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today said the Congress leaders were stalling the irrigation projects from being completed by the State government.
Speaking at a program at Vikarabad, Harish Rao accused the Congress leaders of moving courts against Palamur Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project. He slammed TPCC Chief N Utham Kumar Reddy and former Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy for encouraging Congress leaders to move courts against the projects in the State. “They should reply as to whether Harshavardhan Reddy, who filed cases against these projects belongs to the Congress or not, he thundered.
“Our objective was to turn the Palamur district into green belt area by completing the projects and irrigating more crops to increase agriculture produce, he said. However, the Congress during its regime from 2007 to 2014 deceived the people by swindling Rs 161 crore funds in the name of surveys of the projects. What they spent was only Rs 22 crore and deliberately ignored the projects of irrigation”, he fumed.
While it was planned and designed only to irrigate 2.46 lakh acres through Pranahitha Chevella project and the State government favored to irrigate five lakh acres through Palamuru Ranga Reddy projects, the irrigation minister noted. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has big plans to bring under irrigation about one crore acres over five years and completing the projects one by one, he informed. Harish Rao said the Opposition leaders were getting jealous and trying to stall the projects. The farmers and people are keenly watching the nefarious designs of the Congress, he said. (NSS)