YSR Congress party on Tuesday ridiculed the grandiose announcement made by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on the commencement of Godavari-Banakacharla irrigation project, stating that he was copying the plan announced by former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Speaking to reporters, YSRCP spokesman and former minister Ambati Rambabu said Naidu’s claims by labelling Godavri-Banakacherla project as a game changer were nothing but a publicity stunt.
He said it was Jagan Mohan Reddy who had planned the ambitious project of inter-liking of Godavari-Krishna rivers and irrigate barren lands in between and provide irrigation facility to the arid Rayalaseema and the project was aimed completion in three phases.
“Chandrababu Naidu is in the habit hijacking ideas and this time he has no different and has been giving catchy names and slogans using his friendly media while reality is otherwise,” Ambati said.
The former minister pointed out that it was the plan of Jagan Mohan Reddy not to allow even a drop of water to drain into the sea and has worked for interlinking of rivers and divert the Godavari flood water to Krishna en route Rayalaseema.
“The Godavari-Banakacherla project is in three phases first to bring Godavari flood waters to Krishna and from there to Bollapalli reservoir and eventually to Banakacherla traversing through a rough terrain,” he said.
The DPR was sent to the Centre by Jagan Mohan Reddy and now Chandrababu Naidu is trying to hijack the credit and is claiming it as his own idea, he said.
Ambati suspected that Chandrababu Naidu is known for privatization from roads, medical collages to ports and now even this project may go that way.
