TT IMPACT – Sitarama Project: Tummala says he never craved for publicity

Nageswara Rao also claimed that he maintained dignity in political life to gain the public trust but never asked for party tickets.

Khammam: Responding to reports and comments of Congress Ministers using the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project for publicity and to claim credit, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said he did not work for publicity and claim credit for the projects he executed.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the Enkoor link canal was taken up to bring the project into use and that he did not own an acre of land under the project. Around 150 acres of land was given by farmers for the eight kilometre link canal to take water to Wyra project to irrigate 1.20 lakh acres and water could be available if NSP water was not available. In two months 16 structures were built, the Minister said.

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Without completing tunnels, 155 structures, field channels and distributary canals, not a single acre could be irrigated under the project and it could take another five years in addition to Rs.10, 000 crore, Nageswara Rao said, adding that some parties and local leaders had accused him of trying to divert water to Sathupalli constituency. He said he wanted to take water to all the constituencies as he treats all areas as his own and claimed that he did not have a partisan approach. Nageswara Rao also claimed that he maintained dignity in political life to gain the public trust but never asked for party tickets.

Earlier, he informed that Rs.2 lakh loan waiver would be launched by the Chief Minister on August 15. There was a need to waive loans above Rs 2 lakh. Of the Rs 30,000 crore crop loans, Rs.18,000 crore loans were waived so far.