Uttam Blames BRS Govt for Breaches in Canals

Suryapet: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday alleged that canals and irrigation tanks were breached during recent rain due to their poor maintenance by the BRS government for 10 years.

He inspected the repairs to the Nagarjunasagar left the canal at Kagithapu Ramachandrapuram in Nadigudem mandal and the Mukhyala branch major and Redlakunda major at Karakkayalagudem and Arlagudem in the district.

He said the BRS had no moral right to criticise the Congress government and explained that the earlier government had not even filled up vacant assistant executive engineer (AEE) posts in irrigation department, which led to poor maintenance of canals and irrigation tanks.

After coming to power, the Congress government filled up 700 AEE and 1,800 lashkar (gates operator) posts, Uttam Kumar Reddy said. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would release the appointment orders at a programme in Jala Soudha on Thursday.

Stating that the state government was committed to protecting the crops by restoring the irrigation facility, he said short tenders were called for repairing to the breached canals and the works are close to completion.

He announced that water would be released to Nagarjunasagar left canal and irrigation facility would be resumed to the ayacut. Suryapet district collector Tejas Nandalal Pawar and officials of the irrigation department were present at the meeting.