Hyderabad: State Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding irrigation coverage at a low cost. He also issued a stern warning to officials who fail to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Announcing the suspension of the Chief Engineer of Nalgonda, the Minister emphasized that employees play a crucial role in cleaning up the irrigation sector, which has been plagued by corruption for over a decade. He pointed out that despite spending Rs 1.81 crore, a new ayakkatta (irrigation command area) could not be created.
The Minister criticised the previous government for spending Rs 27,000 crore on the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy project and Rs 9,000 crore on the Sitarama project without being able to provide water to even a single acre of land. He also highlighted the delays in completing long-term projects like Devadula, Kalvakurthi, Nettepadu, Bhima, Koil Sagar, SLBC, and Dindi.
To address these issues, the government has created a route map to prioritize and complete pending irrigation projects. Uttam Kumar Reddy specifically instructed officials to expedite work on the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) project and warned them that negligence or delays in their duties will not be tolerated.
During a special review meeting on irrigation projects in the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency, the Minister discussed the challenges faced during the previous administration. He noted that poor planning, lack of human resources, inadequate infrastructure, and weak institutional structures had left the irrigation sector in a disorganized state.
In an effort to address these deficits, the government has appointed 700 assistant executive engineers from prestigious institutions like IITs and IIITs, along with 1,800 personnel through outsourcing. The Minister also suggested filling more vacancies through the Telangana State Public Service Commission to strengthen the workforce.
Regarding water allocation, the Minister highlighted that the process to secure 67 TMC of water from the Godavari River for the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project is progressing swiftly. Additionally, efforts are underway to obtain 44 TMC of water for the Sammakka-Sarakka project, with discussions ongoing with the Chhattisgarh government to gain necessary permissions.
