Hyderabad, September 13 INN: Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation P Sudarshan Reddy on Thursday stated that the State Government has speeded up 50 projects, which are in advance stage of completion.
Talking to media persons during Prajahitham Programme at the Secretariat, the Minister said the government has decided to complete the projects by 2013-14 to realize early benefits. Under the Jalayagnum scheme, out of 86, as many as 82 projects have been grounded and 14 projects were completed. He said that the remaining 68 projects were under various stages of construction. He said that 21.259 lakh acres in the State would come under irrigation if all the 86 projects materialized.
Of 50 priority projects, he said that 12 projects are located in Coastal Andhra, 14 projects in Rayalaseema and 24 projects in Telangana region. Once completed, they would provide irrigation facility in 32.52 lakh acres with an estimated cost of Rs 11969.28 crores. He also said that the government has been giving top priority for rehabilitation and resettlement of people affected due to construction of projects.
Sudarshan Reddy also dismissed the allegations that the government was showing discrimination towards Telangana region during the Jalayagnum scheme. He said that the government was allocating funds equally for the construction of projects.
Responding to reports that the Centre was not according national project status to Polavaram project due to continuous escalation of cost, he denied such reports as baseless and far from truth. He said that the government was taking all steps to declare Polavaram as a national project.
- INN
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