Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao said that the state government had started the construction of irrigation canals for Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project soon it cleared the major obstacle of getting environmental clearances from the Centre.
"I promise that the BRS government will complete the Palamuru project very soon and make South Telangana districts green with crops. In the next few days, the pumping of water into reservoirs to meet drinking water needs will begin," Rao said.
The CM, in his Independence Day speech after hoisting the National Flag at Golconda Fort said, "Under the BRS rule, the farming sector witnessed substantial development. Paddy yield reached three crore tonnes. Telangana, which ranked 15th in paddy production in the country when it was part of undivided Andhra Pradesh, is competing with Punjab for the top slot in the country."
He said that Opposition parties had exposed their “vexatious mentality” by filing cases in green tribunals to halt the project which was designed to provide irrigation to 12 lakh acres and drinking water to 1,200 villages in South Telangana districts, for petty political interests.
Rao said independent India did not achieve the desired goals despite having abundant natural resources and hardworking people as these resources were not utilised properly due to the inefficiency and bankruptcy of the ideas. While Telangana is progressing fast on all fronts, some narrow minded forces were creating hurdles in the path of development, the CM stated.
“When the Telangana State is achieving such a high level in development, some people are criticising the farmers' welfare measures. Some leaders are making undue comments that three hours of electricity supply is enough for agriculture,” the CM said, taking a dig at TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy, but without naming him. “I believe that people will respond appropriately to their anti-farmer attitude.”
On the TSRTC-state government merger, the CM said, "Some narrow-minded forces tried unsuccessfully to block the RTC bill. In spite of it, the RTC Bill was successfully adopted in the Assembly recently," he said while not naming Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Rao said the BRS government was rectifying the decades of injustice meted out to Telangana and setting an example for the rest of the country in terms of welfare schemes and development programmes.
He said that the BRS government assumed power in Telangana in 2014 in the midst of untenable conditions such as barren land, dry lakes and tanks, depleted groundwater, regular power cuts, suicides of farmers and weavers, migration of people for livelihood and starvation deaths.
"The BRS government has taken up the responsibility of rebuilding Telangana state with utmost dedication. The government's tenacious hardwork helped to bring the destructed Telangana on the path of development," the Chief Minister said.
