PCSS irrigation project inaugurated

Chevella, AP, Nov 19 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today laid the foundation stone for the prestigious Pranahitha-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi(PCSS) lift irrigation project here coinciding with the birth anniversary of late prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Addressing a public meeting on the occasion he said the State Government had decided to take up the project at a cost of Rs 38,500 crore to provide irrigation facility to 16.40 lakh acres of land in seven districts in Telangana region. It would be completed in four years.

He said the government's aim was to develop Telangana region, which was neglected by the previous TDP regime. He claimed that the TDP, during its nine-year rule, had totally neglected the agricultural sector and welfare of the farmers and agriculture labourers.

Though there were severe droughts during the erstwhile TDP government, it did not think of taking up irrigation projects to provide irrigated water to the backward areas of Telangana region, the Chief Minister charged.

His government had taken up several welfare and developmental schemes, including ''Jalayagnam'', construction of houses under INDIRAMMA scheme, distribution of pensions and introduction of 'Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Insurance scheme', to provide free medical reatment to the poor at corporate hospitals for various diseases.

He said the government was providing free power supply to the farm sector for the last four and a half years despite the TDP's criticism that there would not be any power in electrical wires and it would be used for drying the clothes.

The Chief Minister said the Congress Government, also had waived loans to farmers with a view to help them. He said out of 1.20 crore farmers in the state, 63 lakh farmers were benefitted by the Centre's loan waiver scheme to the tune of Rs 11,350 crore.

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