hyderabad
The Nagarjunasagar project (NSP) ayacut would be linked to Kaleshwaram project waters to prevent drought seasons due to lean flows into the Krishna Basin, as it has happened this year, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said at an election meeting in Kodad on Sunday.
Asking people to support Bollam Mallaiah Yadav one more time to continue the good work being done, the BRS chief said that the struggle for getting NSP water used to be a regular feature for farmers of Kodad area but they were being given water regularly after the formation of Telangana, including water from Kaleshwaram project, for the last three years. Taking Asif Nahar canal till Udayasamudram would ensure sufficient water for two crops in the coming days, he stated.
Mr. Rao also asked people not to vote based on somebody’s word just like that but with awareness and keeping in mind who could serve their interests better. He asked the youth to inquire with the elders as to how it was conspired against Telangana region in combined Andhra Pradesh even in case of projects.
He explained that Hyderabad State had planned the Nandikonda project 20 km upstream of the location of Nagarjunasagar but the plan was changed after merger of Hyderabad with Andhra to serve the interests of the latter.
‘Kavacha-kundalas’
He also explained how the expenditure on minor lift irrigation schemes on the NSP Left Canal was forced upon the farmers of Telangana, while similar lifts on the Right Canal were maintained at the government’s expense, including payment of power bills. He compared BRS to the ‘kavacha-kundalas’ (the divine armour and ear rings made of nectar for Karna in Mahabharata as an ultimate protection for him) for the people of Telangana.
Speaking in Thungaturthy later, he hit out at Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka D.K. Shiva Kumar for telling people in Telangana that they were giving 5-hour power supply to farmers and seeking support for the Congress here. “One can boast of a better facility, not the worse one, as Telangana is giving 24-hour supply,” he remarked and sought support for G. Kishore Kumar, who had brought Kaleshwaram water to irrigate 1.3 lakh acres in the constituency.
In his Alair meeting in the evening, Mr. Rao said that the BRS government had favoured 24-hour supply to farmers when the energy officials suggested supply in fixed timing schedules on the ground that it would push the load abnormally high at a time leading to system failures. Seeking support for G. Sunitha Reddy, he said that she was one among them and rose from the ranks to understand and address the problems of constituents.
The BRS chief asked people at all the three public meetings whether they favour 24-hour power supply to farmers or less, support Rythu Bandhu or not and whether favour Dharani and received support for the existing scheme. He assured that a dry port would come up between Suryapet and Kodad to promote exports from Telangana and an industrial park in Alair.
