Chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao directed finance secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to release Rs 2,100 crore every month to irrigation department.
As the state government took up irrigation as a priority sector and allocated Rs 25,000 crore for it in the budget, the chief minister directed the finance secretary to release Rs 2,100 crore every month. This will enable the irrigation department to spend as per the budget provisions and enable the government to provide irrigation water to one crore acres.
KCR’s directive to Ramakrishna Rao came in the light of reports that though the state government allocated Rs 25,000 crore for irrigation sector in the current budget, the spendings on irrigation project was very meagre in the first three months.
Rao conducted a review meeting on the irrigation sector at his camp office here Thursday. Irrigation works should be completed as per the budgetary allocations and there should be no delay, KCR directed the officials.
The review was attended by MPs Gutta Sukhender Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, energy minister G Jagadish Reddy, irrigation ENC Muralidhar Rao and others. The chief minister made it clear that the state government would continue nine-hour free power supply to farmers by spending Rs 4,000 crore.
Reiterating that every year 4,500 tmc water from both Krishna and Godavari were going waste into the sea, Rao said the redesigning and reengineering of irrigation projects were taken up to utilise these waters to optimum level.
On Sitarama Lift Irrigation project, the CM directed the officials to prepare a detailed project report and estimates soon. Rao said that Sitarama LIS would be made a multi-purpose project in future, as it was proposed to generate 320 MW hydel power.
He reviewed the progress of Medigadda barrage construction works with representatives of L&T, who gave a powerpoint presentation.