Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy on Friday alleged that former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy were responsible for the tardy pace of work on the Polavaram Irrigation project on the Godavari river in the West Godavari district.
Talking to mediapersons here, the Health Minister said that Jaganmohan Reddy did not raise the issue in Parliament whien he was a Congress MP, while his father and former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had failed to push the project to its completion.
Lashing out at Jaganmohan Reddy for taking up the Harita Yatra to pressurise the government to push for the completion of the project, Dr. Reddy said that the former MP had no moral right to raise the issue. He said that Jaganmohan Reddy was unaware of what the Polavaram project was all about, but had launched a protest yatra just because it was in the news.
The minister stated that the former MP did not even know who had constructed the Gandikota project in Kadapa. "This was the extent of Jaganmohan Reddy’s knowledge, so how could he even take up the issue?", Dr. Reddy continued.
The Minister stated that Jaganmohan Reddy only motive behind Harita Yatra was cheap publicity and that he lacked the commitment towards the issue.
Justifying the delay in completion of the project, the Minister said that the neighbouring states, Orissa and Chhattisgarh had raised objections and the case was pending in the Supreme Court.
The Health Minister revealed that the government was making concerted efforts to complete the project. He also added that getting the status of a national project was a priority of the government.
When asked to comment on the reports that the camp of the former MP has seen about 30 MLAs pledging him support, Dr. Reddy said that the media has exaggerated the number.
He said that hardly ten MLAs are known to owe loyalties to Jaganmohan Reddy.
Courtesy: INN
filed in:Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Harita Yatra, Y S Rajasekhar Reddy