‘Farmers and people suffering due to YCP policies’

Rs 1,277 Cr Neeru Chettu bills pending in CFMS
Harassment continuing for two and half years
Water users panels to take up legal agitation
AMARAVATI: The representatives of farmers and water users’ associations and the Telugu Desam Party leaders on Monday decided to begin a legal struggle against the non-payment of bills for the Neeru Chettu works by the YSRCP Government.
They accused the Jagan Reddy regime of not paying the Neeru Chettu bills towards works taken up and completed during the previous TDP rule. It was just like how the NREGS payments were also not being paid for the works completed during the previous regime. Those who completed these works have been harassed and victimised ever since the YSRCP came to power in the State. Despite the courts’ orders, the payments were not being made.
The TDP leaders, chairmen of project committees and distributary committees took part in the meeting. Water Users Associations Federation President Alla Gopala Krishna presided over the meeting. They have decided to collect all the pending bills at the village level from all those contractors under the Neeru Chettu works. The required documents would be gathered in order to seek justice in the court of law.
Speaking on the occasion, former Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said that the Neeru Chettu works had helped in increasing the productivity of crops and recharge of the groundwater table. These works have also helped in providing fertile soil to the agriculture lands. The contractors were not coming forward to take up the Neeru Chettu works now because of the vengeful and atrocious attitude of the Government. All developmental works have come to a standstill in all sectors.
TDP National General Secretary Beeda Ravichandra said that the farmers of Andhra Pradesh have suffered losses in every possible way ever since Jaganmohan Reddy became the Chief Minister of the State. Very alarmingly, Rs. 1,277 Cr bills pertaining to Neeru Chettu works have been pending in the CFMS system at the state level in the past two and half years. Another Rs. 500 Cr worth bills were yet to be generated. Everybody was suffering because of the lopsided policies of the ruling YSRCP leaders.
Repalle MLA Anagani Satya Prasad said that soil upto 98 crore sq cubic metres of soil was desilted under the Neeru Chettu works. It greatly helped the farmers in their cultivation of crops. Such massive works were taken up in this sector for the first time in the entire country. Over 7.97 lakh farm ponds were dug up and these were linked up with over 4,735 water bodies.
The MLA said that it was only because of such works that the irrigation water capacity in the State was increased by 85 tmc. Over 7 lakh acres of ayacut was stabilised. These works have helped in increasing the prospects of the farmers.

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