KCR sets a deadline for water projects in the state

?Hyderabad: Aiming to ensure irrigation from Kaleshwaram to most of the ayacut in the state by June or July 2019, Telangana State Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has set the deadline of two years for the completion of all ongoing irrigation projects, including the prestigious Kaleshwaram and Palamuru- Rangareddy Lift schemes. The chief minister instructed the officials to complete all the project works in a two-year period ensuring to achieve the target of providing irrigation facility to one crore acres in a time-bound manner in the state. To speed up the project works, the CM will also embark on ‘project yatra’.

After assuming charge as chief minister of T state for the second consecutive term, KCR held the first day-long review on irrigation projects with the top officials, including Chief Secretary SK Joshi, Finance Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, state Irrigation department Engineer-in-Chief Muralidhar and others. He instructed the officials to make arrangements for his visit to Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages and the pump houses taken up under Kaleshwaram and SRSP projects on Tuesday. During his visit, he will review the work progress at the project sites in detail.

The CM warned the officials against any slackness in execution of works at Kaleshwaram and expressed anger at the officials for the delay that occurred thus far in the completion of works at Sitarama Project in Khammam and Srirama Sagar revival project in Nizamabad district. KCR enquired with the officials the reason for the delay in the completion of the work at Devadula project. A sum of Rs 11,000 crore has already been mobilised for Sitarama project. The contract agency officials assured the completion of the SRSP revival scheme by May 2019. He spoke to the agencies’ representatives of the other projects on phone and questioned them why delay was occurring in execution of the projects.

The chief minister instructed the officials to pay compensation to the farmers from whom the land has been acquired. The Finance department officials were asked to release Rs 80 crore to pay relief to the displaced at Gandhamalla and Baswapuram reservoirs taken up under Kaleshwaram. Bhupalpally, Nirmal, Peddapally and Bhongir district Collectors have been asked to disburse the compensation to all the identified farmers immediately.

KCR said that the government has prepared plans to provide irrigation facility to one lakh acres each in Narayanakhed and Zaheerabad assembly constituencies by constructing two lift schemes at Singuru. He instructed the officials to prepare proposals to strengthen Koulas Nala and completion of pending Nagamadugu projects to provide drinking water facility to people in Jukkal assembly segment and work for speedy completion of Lendi project. He directed the officials to release water to tanks from the flood flow canals of projects, including Kakatiya flood flow canal but before ensuring that the crops get sufficient water supply in the ensuing rabi crop season.