Ramanaidu accuses Jagan of betraying Rayalaseema interests

Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu on Monday launched a sharp attack on former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing him of spreading falsehoods and betraying the interests of Rayalaseema during his five-year tenure.

Addressing the media, Mr. Ramanaidu alleged that Mr. Jagan had come to symbolise fabrication and false propaganda, while Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stood for truth, stability and commitment. He said people of Andhra Pradesh were no longer inclined to believe what he described as pages of lies being published by the YSRCP.

The Minister alleged that no Chief Minister in the State’s history had inflicted as much injustice on Rayalaseema as Mr. Jagan. He recalled that approval for the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme was granted on May 5, 2020, during the YSRCP regime, and alleged that the same government facilitated a stay order from the National Green Tribunal on May 20 that year.

Mr. Ramanaidu said only ₹2,000 crore was allocated to Rayalaseema irrigation projects during the entire five-year rule of Mr. Jagan. In contrast, he claimed, the present coalition government had already spent ₹8,000 crore on Rayalaseema projects within the first one-and-a-half years of assuming office.

Referring to project execution, he said the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project, which the previous government failed to complete in five years, was completed by the present government within a year. He questioned the YSRCP’s commitment to Rayalaseema, asking why not even a single rupee was spent or a shovelful of earth moved for the project during its tenure.

Mr. Ramanaidu credited Mr. Naidu with extending Krishna water up to the Punganur branch canal (738 km), the Madakasira branch canal (493 km) and the Amarapuram tank. He said Rayalaseema’s tanks were brimming only during Mr. Naidu’s tenure after the era of Sri Krishnadevaraya.

He further argued that while nearly 3,000 tmc ft of Godavari water flowed unused into the sea every year, utilising even 200 tmc ft should not attract objections. “We want water, not disputes,” he said, questioning why Telangana’s use of Kaleshwaram waters was accepted while Andhra Pradesh’s use of Polavaram waters was criticised. He accused Telangana leaders and the YSRCP of dragging interstate water disputes into Andhra Pradesh for political gain, calling it an act of sheer imprudence.