Fishing Rights, Housing For People Giving Up Land

On a visit to inspect works being carried out on Ranganayak Sagar in Siddipet district, Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao today said that the state government would provide housing to the landowners who had given up their land for the government's projects.

Speaking on the occasion, Rao said that the donors would be granted the right to fish in nearby tanks and lakes, too.

He also appreciated the contributions of the people in making the state's projects successful saying that the entire nation had been taken by surprise at the speed at which the projects were being completed, none of which could have been possible without the support of the people.

Rao also spoke of the government's vision behind the irrigation projects, and said that the aim was to bring one crore acres of land in the state under irrigation by 2020. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, too, was taking personal interest to ensure that the projects were completed by the target date, he added.

Assuring the people that all key projects would be completed on a war-footing to move the state away from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation-based agriculture, he said that so far 80% of land procurement for projects including Ananthagiri, Mallanna Sagar, Kondapochamma Sagar, Gauravelli and Gandipally was completed. He added that those displaced under these projects would be provided housing of their choice by the government.

He expressed confidence that hurdles created by the Opposition notwithstanding, all the projects taken up by the state would be completed as per schedule.