Vijayamma's Dharna For Pranahitha-Chevella

YSR Congress party honorary president Y S Vijayalakshmi (or as she is fondly called - Vijayamma) will hold a rally at Sirpur on May 21, demanding that the state and Central governments declare Pranahitha-Chevella as a national project and expedite its implementation by allocating sufficient funds.

"The decision to hold the rally has been deferred by a day, and our party's honorary president will take up the dharna program at Pranahiths. The aim of holding the rally is to protest against the delay in taking up the execution of the project, which, if successfully carried out, will provide water for irrigation to seven districts in Telangana," party spokesperson Janak Prasad told reporters on Thursday.

"Though the foundation stone of the project was laid down by Y S Rajasekhar Reddy five years ago, nothing concrete was done, and work on the ambitious lift irrigation project has been stalled leaving the arid Telangana region totally dry.

"Y S Vijayamma will cleanse the pylon erected during the inauguration of the project and sit on a dharna, protesting against the indifferent attitude of the Congress government. Later, she will address a public meeting at Sirpur Paper Mills ground and highlight the failure of state and central governments," he said, before adding, "we demand that the project be accorded a national status, and that the allocated funds be released in order to expedite the works, as the 160 TMC of water will be a boon to the arid Telangana".

Other regions that stand to profit from the Pranahitha-Chevella project include Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nizamabad, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy.

The multi-crore project (which has been renamed as B R Ambedkar Pranahitha-Chevella Sujala Saravnthi project) would also provide drinking water to the city and its peripheries. (INN)