Govt spending Rs 7 cr a day to save crops: Reddy

Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, April 22 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said his was the only Government in the country to spend Rs 7 crore a day for buying power to save crops.

Addressing a public meeting in Chinarikatla village under Konakamitla mandal of Prakasham district as part of his ongoing prajapadham programme, Dr Reddy said as the ground water position has improved due to heavy rains during the last monsoon season, power consumption had shot up.

He said the demand that was 15 crore units during April/May last year, had increased to 17 crore units this year.

The Chief Minister said the government was providing ration cards to all eligible people.

He said While the Government provided Rs 90 crore to self-help groups with 25 paise nominal interest, it would provide Rs 150 crore next year. Similarly the financial assistance under Indira Kranti scheme, which was Rs 2000 crore, would be increased to Rs 3,000 crore next year, he added.

Works totaling Rs 35 crores were being implemented to provide drinking water to Hanumanthunipadu and Kanigiri mandals he noted.

Stating that the government was implementing Indiramma scheme to provide houses to all eligible poor, he said the government had undertaken construction of 18 lakh houses.

Dr Reddy said plans were afoot to construct 66,000 houses in the Prakasham district. Government had also sanctioned Rs two crore for the construction of Hanumanthunipadu-Gotla Gattu road. and the Government was undertaking repairs to the Cumbham tank.

He said he was taking steps to hasten the construction of the Velugonda project to provide water for 3.5 lakh acres of agriculture land.

Works on the seven-metre tunnel were on, and tenders, would be called within a week for the nine-metre tunnel, he added.

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