CM asks officials to expedite irrigation works

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao Friday asked officials to expedite works on irrigation projects aimed at irrigating 1.25 crore acres in the state at an estimated cost of Rs 2.25 lakh crore.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed the officers concerned to speed up the works on the irrigation projects, a release from his office said.

Rao, who held a meeting with officials on irrigation, made it very clear that there was no greater priority than providing water for irrigation to Telangana farmers, it said.

There is no dearth of funds for construction of projects and government would clear bills from time to time as and when they were due, he said.

"For construction of irrigation projects in Telangana so far an amount of Rs 77,777 crore has been spent. In addition to this, for land purchase, compensatory afforestation and for rehabilitation and resettlement packages another Rs 22,000 crore has been spent.

The total expenditure as of now is Rs 99,643 crore," Rao said.

By the end of March this year, it is estimated that another Rs 7,000 crore expenditure would be incurred. With this, till the end of March the expenditure would touch Rs 1.07 lakh crore, he said.

"In addition to irrigation projects under Godavari and Krishna basin and for Mission Kakatiya works, during the coming five years the anticipated expenditure would be Rs 1.17 lakh crore.

By way of spending this amount and by completing all the irrigation projects the government aims at providing water for irrigation to 1.25 crore acres," the release said.

Rao also said the government funds would be released as and when there is a requirement.