Govt to allocate Rs 14,000 crore for irrigation projects : CM

Hyderabad, Jan 17 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the government would allocate Rs 14,000 crore for the construction of irrigation projects under 'Jalayagnam' programme next year.

Distributing best farmers, field officers and scientists awards on the eve of 'Rythu Sankranthi' here, Dr Reddy said the government was committed to construct irrigation projects at the cost of Rs 1,00000 crore to provide irrigation water to one crore acres additionally by the end of 2008.

Stating that the government was taking all possible steps to turn the agriculture sector as a profitable business and the farmers should reap benefits from new schemes, he said 20,000 agriculture scientists would be appointed in the next three months to select farmers to provide them training on new agriculture techniques so that they can share it with other farmers.

Alleging that the power shortage in the state was due to inefficient policies of the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, Dr Reddy said seven hours of power would be supplied to the farmers during the Rabi season.

The government had borrowed Rs 1150 crore to purchase power, he said adding that the government was implementing all the promises it had made to farmers during the election.

UNI