Govt. claims on irrigation project stall: Lok Satta

The Lok Satta today faulted Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy for claiming that only his Government had the capacity to construct irrigation projects and that the activity would come to a halt if it was not re-elected to power.

Talking to the media, party spokesman P. Ravi Maruth and Secretary P. Bhaskara Rao pointed out that the Government had not completed a single large irrigation project in the last five years. The Government had merely succeeded in awarding project after project to chosen contractors only to make money in the process. In addition, it had taken up many unviable lift irrigation schemes which would turn white elephants to the State’s economy. It had squandered scarce resources on providing short-term sops with an eye on the electoral dividends, and not focused on the downturn in the economy and the consequent job losses and suffering.

The alacrity with the Government sanctioned funds to be spent under rural infrastructure development in the next two years showed that the ruling party was eager to come to power at any cost.

Mr. Ravi Maruth and Mr. Bhaskara Rao wanted the people to be alert about the Government’s misleading campaign and vote with discretion in the upcoming elections.

The spokesmen disclosed that the party would be releasing the third list of about 50 candidates contesting the Assembly elections this week. The party’s screening committee reviewed the large number of applications and short listed them for a decision by the political committee.