Sonia Gandhi inaugurates irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh

Jaggampet (Andhra Pradesh), Mar 14 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a lift irrigation project in the Jaggampet area of Andhra Pradesh on Friday.

"I have inaugurated the first phase of the Pushkaram irrigation project on the Godavari river, which will provide water to 200,000 acres of land. This is a huge irrigation project which will benefit lakhs of farmers," Sonia said.

With general elections not far away Sonia dwelt in detail on the pro-poor policies and initiatives of the Congress party. She particularly referred to one of the largest social security schemes launched last year to provide insurance cover to the country's poor landless labourers and unorganized workers.

"The Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana, which will provide life insurance to 3.8 million landless agricultural labourers, is part of the package which has been given by the Congress led UPA government at the Center," Sonia added.

The insurance scheme aims at providing insurance cover to around 10 million people by 2009.

Sonia, who is on a two-day visit to the southern state, began her visit amidst a shutdown called in by the regional wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left.

ANI