Konthala Ramakrishna to fight for Sujala

Visakhapatnam: After launching a new outfit, former minister Konthala Ramakrishna is now getting ready to tour three districts of north Andhra. He is launching a signature campaign on June 23 to garner support to his demand for the completion of Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi irrigation project, termed lifeline for water needs of the three districts in the region.

The campaign gains significance in the wake of the political vacuum in north Andhra as both TD and BJP are not able to consolidate their achievements properly and the main Opposition, YSR Congress,  lacks strong credible faces in Vizag, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.

Ending speculations of his joining the TD, Mr Ramakrishna on last Tuesday announced the launch of apolitical platform ‘Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi Sadhana Sami-thi’.  However, he has been invited by both the TD and BJP to join their party.

The signature campaign will begin on June 23 at Thallapalem in Kasimkota mandal and will continue till August 15. Signatures from the public will be collected in 18 mandals of Vizag, 24 in Vizianagaram, 6 in Srikakulam.

Once completed, around 53.4 tmcft of water for irrigation, 4.46 tmcft for drinking and 4.46 tmcft for industries can be supplied through the project for which foundation stone was laid by the then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy in 2009.

In the same year, around Rs 50 crore was released for the project that costs around Rs 7,214.10 crore as per 2009 line estimates. A chief engineer office was also opened at Vizag to supervise the Uttarandhra Sujala Sravanthi project.