Due to ineffective policies of Jagan government, food grain production decreased by 8 lakh tonnes: Naidu

Nellore (SPSR Nellore district): Due to the inefficient and ineffective policies of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, the grain production has gone down by eight lakh metric tonnes in the State compared to 2019-20, flayed former Chief Minister and TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu here on Sunday. While a reduction of eight lakh metric tonnes of grains has been reported in the State, the grain production has gone up by 90 lakh tonnes in the neighbouring State of Telangana during the same period, he pointed out. Any government should take decisions that can bring changes for better in the lives of the people, the former Chief Minister said, adding that the current State government, however, takes quite opposite decisions. Alleging that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was responsible for destroying the irrigation sector, Naidu has said that the future of irrigation projects like Somasila, Tegugu Ganga, Kandeleru in Nellore district was hanging in balance due to the policies being pursued by the ruling party. As part of TDP’s Yudha Bheri programme, the TDP chief held a meeting with intellectuals, farmers, retired engineers and party leaders. He explained the irrigation projects through a power point presentation on the occasion. While recalling that former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao was responsible for the construction of Somasila, Telugu Ganga, Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanthi (GNSS) and Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) projects, the TDP national president said that due to the failure of government in completing the pending works of the projects, the farmers have been incurring huge crop loss. Stating that there is a possibility of increasing the ayacut utilising the Krishna surplus waters, Naidu regretted that the government was not bothered on the issue. Stating that AP has the highest availability of irrigation facilities than any other State, Naidu felt that if the five major rivers are interlinked the State will permanently come out of the water-related issues. Narrating how in his capacity earlier as the Chief Minister of the State, he had planned to supply water to various areas, Naidu said that since it would take a lot of time to complete the Polavaram project, Pattiseema lift has been built thus getting water for the Krishna delta. Foundation has been laid for the first phase works which were proposed to shift the Godavari waters to Pennar and this is Vaikhuntapuram project, the TDP supremo recalled. ‘’We can supply water to a maximum extent of land with less expenditure since our State has that kind of facility,’’ Naidu said. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is not interested in completing the ongoing projects but has announced new projects at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore only for the benefit of the Minister Peddireddi, he alleged.