Focus on projects to be completed within 2 years first: CM to Irrigation officials

Chief Minister holding a review meeting on irrigation in Jala Soudha in Hyderabad on Thursday night.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement

HYDERABAD

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has instructed Irrigation officials to complete pending projects on priority method based on the time required, starting with projects to be completed in six months and so on.

At a review meeting held at Jala Soudha on Thursday night, he told the officials to prepare an action plan to speed up works on projects that could be completed in time up to two years. He also wanted them to focus on projects that were completed 75% or more, so that water could be given to the intended ayacut at least for the next Kharif season.

There would be no use in focusing on projects that could be completed in the next five-six years and asked the authorities to ensure that there was no problem of funds for projects to be completed on priority basis both in the Godavari and Krishna Basins. He told them to clear bills pertaining to projects that could be completed in a short period through green channel.

The CM also told them to work relentlessly in resolving problems encountered in completing the projects. The irrigation authorities brought to his notice the problems they face with power utilities in payment of bills. In response, Mr. Reddy instructed them to convene a joint meeting with Transco, Genco and Discoms.

Stating that works in the field would pick up momentum only with regular field visits by engineers and other authorities, the Chief Minister told them to be on field as addressing field-level issues was not possible by sitting in the offices. He told the irrigation officials to work in coordination with the revenue department in case of land acquisition for projects.

Acknowledging the key role played by Irrigation engineers in the movement for statehood to Telangana, the Chief Minister said they must keep it mind always that their job was not a routine one but the one linked with emotion of four-crore Telangana people and their objective should be towards achieve the goal of providing irrigation facility to every acre of land, based on possibility.

The irrigation authorities explained to the Chief Minister through a powerpoint presentation that Chinna Kaleshwaram, Modikuntavgu, Lower Penganga, Chanakha-Korata, Devadula, Yellampally, Koilsagar, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima, Srisailam Left Bank Canal-AMRP, Dindi, SRSP-2, Sadarmat, Neelvai-Palemvagu projects could be completed early. The CM later, spoke to all chief engineers and superintending engineers of districts through video conferencing.

Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponnam Prabhakar, Special Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao, Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rahul Bojja, Special Secretary (Irrigation) Prashant J. Patil, Adviser to Irrigation Department Aditya Nath Das, Engineers- in-Chief G. Anil Kumar and B. Nadender Rao participated in the meeting.