AP CM directs officials to speed up irrigation projects

Hyderabad, Oct 5 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today directed the officials to speed up irrigation projects taken up under the 'Jalayagnam' scheme to provide water for irrigation to remote areas in the state.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the progress of the irrigation projects in the State, said the State Government would have to spend Rs 13,000 crore on the projects.

Expressing happiness over the progress of the works, he said that in view of sufficient rains in the State, commercial crops production in every district was expected to cross Rs 3,000 crore in the khariff season.

He said the Government aimed at providing water for irrigation to 24 lakh acres in the State in the next two years, from the 12 lakh acres during the last three years.

Dr Reddy said the Government had decided to provide a code number to every irrigation project built in the State in the last 150 years till March 2004 and the projects to be taken up in the future, for easy identification.

He said the Telugu Ganga, Srisailam Right Branch Canal (SRBC), Somasila, Vamsadhara and Jhanjavathi irrigation projects were likely to be completed by 2009.

He directed the officials not to transfer the officials, who were engaged in land acquisition for the irrigation projects, atleast for two years to speed up the works.

UNI