All irrigation projects will be completed during this term: K Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday instructed Irrigation department officials to chalk out a strategy with an integrated approach for irrigation projects and also prepare an operation and maintenance manual for each of them. 

“A strategy should be prepared to provide water to one crore acres,” the Chief Minister said at a review at Pragathi Bhavan on Monday. He declared that the construction of all the irrigation projects would be completed in his second term as CM. Rao directed the officials to expedite work on Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project, the same way they had expedited work on Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). 

Rao said that for the construction of projects, in addition to budgetary allocations, funds would also be mobilised from various financial institutions. The Chief Minister said that after the completion of the projects necessary funds would be allocated in the Budget for their maintenance.  

He said that in addition to provision of irrigation facility to the farmers, statistical data had to be worked out with regard to the requirement of water for industries and for drinking water.Rao instructed the officials to accord priority to fill up minor irrigation tanks first. In his six-hour long review, He also  interacted with retired engineers who recently toured the State to inspect the ongoing projects.

The team of retired engineers briefed Rao on the progress of each and every project. Indicating that his priority was irrigation, Rao said, “Around 75 per cent voters voted for TRS with a belief that a TRS government will complete irrigation projects and change their fate”.

“In erstwhile Mahbubnagar district we had completed pending projects and provided water. This resulted in reverse migration. This is the reason people elected 13 TRS MLAs in the district.” 

‘Get tough  with wood smugglers’
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday directed officials to take stern action against wood smugglers. He asked them not to spare anybody found smuggling of wood even if he belongs to any  political party.  Rao asked officials to put down wood smuggling with an iron hand. The Preventive Detention Act should be invoked against those who indulge in smuggling wood, he said.  He suggested that dividing the state into four parts for coordination.