Rajhmundary, May 17: Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah said the government was trying its best to secure national status to seven irrigation projects from the state and a request to this effect was sent to the Union government. “Of them, Indira Sagar Project (Polavaram) figures in the top,’’ he added.
Speaking to reporters at Dowleswaram here today, he said as many as 12 irrigation projects were completed with an amount of Rs 50,000 crore whereas 19 other projects were under various stages of construction.
The minister disclosed that works of 39 irrigation projects were yet to begin.
Observing that Indira Sagar an important project in the state, he informed that the government had received a grant of Rs 500 crore for irrigation projects from the Union Government.
“As many as 22,000 acres have been acquired for all the irrigation projects in the state,’’ the minister informed. Responding to a query, Ponnala retorted: “I am representing the entire state as a minister, but not any particular region.’’ He alleged that some parties were levelling baseless allegations on Indira Sagar to get political mileage. Social welfare minister Pilli Subashchandra Bose, Anaparthi MLA Nallamilli Sesha Reddy, rehabilitation and resettlement commissioner Chiranjeevi Choudary, ISP chief engineer M Venkateswara Rao and others were present.
–Agencies