SHLC Would be Completed on a War-Footing: Nara Lokesh

Tegacharla: TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh has assured that Somasila High-Level Canal (SHLC) would be completed on a war footing once the party returns to power after the 2024 elections.

As part of his ongoing Yuva Galam padayatra, the TDP leader interacted with the farmers of the Venkatagiri constituency at his Tegacharla campsite on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, the TDP leader pointed out that farmers of dryland areas like Venkatagiri and Atmakur constituencies cultivate crops based on borewells, lift irrigation schemes, and balance reservoirs. He said that farmers in these areas would get adequate water if SHLC was completed.

He flayed the YSRCP government for its failure to take up the work of balancing reservoirs. He said 75% of the balancing reservoirs were completed during the TDP regime.

Lokesh came down heavily on the YSRCP government for betraying the farming community after getting elected to power with their support. He said the State stood at third position in the country with regard to farmers’ suicides and it occupied second place with regard to tenant farmers.

Finding fault with the YSRCP government for fixing meters to electrical motors, the TDP leader called upon farmers to strongly oppose such a move. He criticized Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy for not holding review meets to initiate steps to improve agricultural productivity.

He said the Agriculture Minister who was facing charges in court documents theft case was busy deposing before the CBI officials.

Responding to the plea of farmers, he said the TDP would complete the construction of Topugunta, Kondapuram, and Choutapalle balancing reservoirs immediately after the party regains power.

The TDP leader has stressed the need for encouraging Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) and recalled that their government had earlier promoted it in a big way.

Saying that most of the farmers cultivate acid lemon and mango in the Venkatagiri constituency, Lokesh said research centers should be set up for citrus and mango to grow export varieties locally. Former Venkatagiri MLA Kurukonda Ramakrishna and farmers from surrounding villages participated in the event.

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