Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday directed officials to fast-track Sitarama project clearances and remove all hurdles delaying execution.
Chairing a review meeting at Jalasoudha on irrigation projects in the erstwhile Khammam district, he ordered officials to resolve issues related to land acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R), forest permissions, environmental approvals and court cases.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao, district In-charge Minister Vakiti Srihari, MPs, MLAs and MLCs attended the meeting.
The Minister asked irrigation officials to compile all pending requisitions immediately. He directed them to submit the proposals to district collectors and revenue divisional officers for time-bound action.
Sitarama project clearances receive top priority
Reviewing the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Project, Uttam Kumar Reddy said officials must secure Sitarama project clearances without delay. He said procedural hurdles should not deny irrigation benefits to farmers.
Officials informed him that the project had already secured Technical Advisory Committee clearance, also known as Techno-Economic Clearance, from the Central Water Commission.
The Minister directed officials to coordinate with all departments and obtain pending environmental approvals quickly. He also reviewed court cases linked to the project.
He instructed officials to closely track cases pending before the Supreme Court and other judicial forums. He also suggested posting the Additional Advocate General in New Delhi to represent Telangana effectively before the Supreme Court.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said irrigation remained a top priority for the State government. He said Telangana would mobilise resources and complete viable irrigation projects despite financial constraints.
The Minister said officials should prioritise diversion of Godavari waters to the Paleru Balancing Reservoir through the NSP Left Canal system.
The Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project lifts Godavari waters from the Dummugudem Anicut and links them to the NSP Left Canal system. The project strengthens irrigation in the existing ayacut, especially in tail-end and water-scarce areas.
Sitarama project clearances linked to land and forest approvals
Reviewing land acquisition issues, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to speed up compensation payments and negotiated settlements. He asked irrigation, revenue and district authorities to work together and resolve pending acquisition issues.
Officials told the meeting that authorities had completed most land acquisition work in several stretches. However, some forest permissions remained under process.
The Minister directed officials to secure all required forest clearances by July-end. He also warned contractors against citing land issues as reasons for delays.
He instructed officials to speed up land acquisition for the Munneru-Paleru Link Canal.
In a key decision, Uttam Kumar Reddy gave in-principle approval to a proposal from Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy. The proposal seeks to lift water from Sitarama Lift Package-I to Bayyaram upland tribal areas in the Yellandu Assembly constituency.
The Minister directed officials to prepare a practical and cost-effective proposal. He asked them to detail the source point, lift requirement, local stream utilisation, financial implications and ayacut benefits.
He also ordered officials to prepare package-wise timelines. Officials must record agency-wise commitments in the meeting minutes and monitor progress regularly.
Uttam Kumar Reddy warned that the government would not tolerate delays by non-performing agencies.
Addressing submergence issues in Bhadrachalam division, the Minister assured public representatives of action. He said he would soon raise the issue with the Polavaram Project Authority. He also announced a dedicated review meeting to identify solutions.
The Minister said he would tour irrigation projects in the erstwhile Khammam district within a fortnight. He will review progress on the ground.