AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually laid the foundation stone for Somasila High-Level Canal, Phase-2 on Monday and reiterated that irrigation was a priority sector for the government. The Somasila Phase 2 project would serve the irrigation and drinking water purposes of 46,453 acres in Udayagiri and Atmakuru uplands and other villages in the Prakasam and Nellore districts. The State government is taking up the Phase-2 construction at a cost of Rs 459 Crore and under this project, balancing reservoirs, cross missionary works, gravity canals, and pump stations will be built.

Speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister said that the previous government proposed to spend Rs 527.53 Crore on the project. “After forming the government, by going through reverse tendering about Rs 68 Crore has been saved and we brought down the cost to Rs 459 Crore and the project works are being done on a war footing. We have curbed corruption and are moving ahead in providing transparent and corruption-free governance, ” he said.

Aiming at addressing the drought issue in the drought-prone Rayalaseema, the government initiated Rayalaseema Drought Mitigation Project with Rs 40,000 Crore. It has also initiated the North Andhra Sujala Sravanthi project with Rs 15,000 Crore, where the tenders for first phase will be called soon for Rs 3500 Crore and YSR Palanadu Karuvu Nivarana (Drought Mitigation) project along with Chintalapudi lift irrigation and two other projects on lower Krishna and one on the upper Krishna River are being taken up.

Knowing the real value of the water and farmers, the State government is moving ahead with series of irrigation projects to safeguard the interests of farmers and to save every drop of water. The Chief Minister added that the government had prioritized the development of the backward regions in Rayalaseema and North Andhra districts. For this,the Chief Minister said that six irrigation projects Vamsadhara phase 2, Vamsadhara-Nagavali interlinking, Veligonda reservoir, Owk tunnel, Sangam barrage, and Nellore barrage works would be completed in 2021.

The Sangam barrage and Nellore barrage works would be completed and will be dedicated to the people of Nellore district by January 2021. The Chief Minister stated that Somasila-Kandaleru doubling works and Somasila-Rallapdu doubling works will be initiated with Rs 918 Crore and Rs 632 Crore.

Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav, IT Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy, MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, MP Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose and other officials were present on the occasion.