Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Thursday that land acquisition is becoming expensive and is causing delays in the completion of irrigation projects across the state. He requested MLAs to assist in speeding up land acquisition processes in their respective constituencies.
The Minister’s remarks came during the question hour in the Assembly, where both treasury and Opposition members expressed significant interest in the topic. This was evident as the discussion on the first question of the session lasted for 45 minutes.
Responding to a query about the Pillaipally and Dharmareddy canal works in Nakrekal, Reddy explained that the government had approved Rs 123.98 crore for the remaining work on the “Restoration of Dharmareddypally Canal” in Yadadri Bhongir and Nalgonda districts. Similarly, Rs 86.22 crore was allocated for the “Restoration of Pillaipally Canal” in the same districts. The Minister assured that both projects would be completed within two years.
For the Station Ghanpur project, the government has sanctioned Rs 160 crore, and tenders for the project would be issued soon. Reddy also highlighted the prioritization of the Chanaka-Korata project in Adilabad, which is included in the government’s top priority list. Additionally, he affirmed the government’s commitment to completing the SLBC Tunnel works within two years, with the Cabinet approving Rs 4,650 crore for the project.
The Minister emphasized that the government has set three priorities for irrigation projects: ensuring the availability of water, addressing land acquisition hurdles, and maintaining a favorable cost-benefit ratio. He also mentioned that a special drive is being undertaken to ensure the proper maintenance of these projects.
