Nalgonda: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Monday expressed displeasure over delays in the Marellapadu Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS) under the Sitarama project, directing officials to complete the works by July.
During an inspection of the project works in Pinapaka Assembly constituency of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, the minister sought an explanation from officials for missing the June deadline and asked them to expedite execution with greater responsibility.
He said the Marellapadu LIS was intended to provide irrigation to 16,500 acres in Pinapaka, noting that farmers from the constituency had first given their lands for the Sitarama project and should be its primary beneficiaries.
The minister reiterated that the government was prioritising irrigation to support agriculture and farmers’ welfare.
He said ₹10,000 crore had been sanctioned for the Sitarama project and ₹4,000 crore for its distributary canal. Irrigation could be extended to Aswaraopeta, Kothagudem, Sathupalli and Madhira Assembly constituencies by next year, subject to cooperation in land acquisition, he added.
On the Sitamma Sagar Multi-Purpose Project, he said the government was pursuing clearances in the Supreme Court. The project, with a storage capacity of 38 TMC ft, is expected to provide irrigation to seven lakh acres in the erstwhile Khammam and Mahbubabad districts.
The minister directed officials to remove silt and obstructions along the Sitarama canal to ensure uninterrupted water flow.
District collector Ankith, Pinapaka MLA Payam Venkateshwarlu and officials from irrigation and revenue departments were present.
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