Banakacherla project will not harm interests of any state, says Andhra Pradesh CM
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu defended the Godavari-Banakacherla project, saying it will not harm the water interests of any state.
Referring to Telangana’s opposition to the project, he said that no one needs to worry.
He was speaking after hoisting the national flag at the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here.
“We have decided to divert Godavari waste water from Polavaram to Banakacherla to transform Rayalaseema into an agrarian region. We will use the water that would otherwise be wasted by flowing into the sea,” he said.
Chandrababu Naidu said that as a lower-riparian state, Andhra Pradesh have to bear floods.
“When floods occur, if the upstream states release water, we, as the downstream state, bear the losses and difficulties. Why are there objections to using the same floodwater as the downstream state? We have to bear the flood, but how can we cope if we do not benefit from the flood water?” he asked.
He reiterated that his government would complete the Polavaram project by December 2027. He noted that the Central government has released funds of Rs 12,157 crore and helped with the timely completion of the construction work.
Chandrababu Naidu predicted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will soon become the third-largest economy in the world.
“Ours is not a dead economy… It’s a good economy,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister said that India is not only a major economic power but has also proved its military power with Operation Sindoor. “Let’s salute the Indian Armed Forces who responded to the enemy’s terror attack with missiles,” he said.
He termed the welfare schemes implemented by the coalition government in the state as “unmatched”.
He claimed that people in Andhra Pradesh are getting double the welfare at a level not implemented in any other state in the country.
“I am saying this today with humility and pride…the coalition government is doing unmatched welfare…there is no obstacle to development…there are unprecedented efforts for good governance. This is a record. This is an all-time record,” the Chief Minister said.
“The last year with welfare, development, and good governance has given us great satisfaction in serving the people,” he added.
Chandrababu Naidu claimed that in the 2024 elections, the people believed in the NDA slogan of ‘People should win, State should rise’ and gave a historic mandate. They brought a silent revolution.
“We started our tenure with the sole aim of rebuilding the state. During this one year since we took office, we have been working from the first day to maintain the trust of the people and pave the way for the future.”
He claimed that the coalition made the Super Six, which was one of the main election promises, a super hit.
Listing out the welfare schemes launched during the last year, he stated that they redefined the meaning of the welfare state by distributing NTR Bharosa pensions to 64 lakh people at their homes under the ‘Pedala Sevalo’ program.
The government introduced the ‘Talliki Vandanam’ scheme to provide financial security to ease the burden of mothers who dream of educating their children. The scheme is being implemented at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore.
As the first instalment of the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, the state government deposited Rs 5,000 and the Centre Rs 2,000 in the accounts of 7,000 farmers. A total of Rs 3,173 crore has been provided to 47 lakh farmers.
Under the Deepam scheme, the government is giving 3 cylinders free of cost per year. “We are spending Rs 2,684 crore annually. We have given Rs 2 crore worth of subsidised cylinders so far.”
He mentioned that on the occasion of Independence Day, the government is launching the Stree Shakti scheme to provide free travel for women in RTC buses.
The government conducted a mega DSC with 16,347 teachers’ posts. It will complete the recruitment by the end of this month.
Chandrababu Naidu stated that the government is developing cities and urban areas as growth engines for the state.
“We have simplified the process for seeking permissions for construction projects. We have provided the opportunity to build a house in plots within 100 yards without any building plan.”
He said that the coalition government’s goal is to revive Brand AP. “We are working towards winning back the confidence of industrialists and bringing back investments to the state. So far, we have held 9 State Investment Promotion Board meetings. We have approved investments worth Rs 5.94 lakh crore in 113 projects. These will create 5.56 lakh jobs,” he added.
