Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh chief minister and YSR Congress party (YSRCP) supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, February 26, announced the release of Krishna water from the Kuppam Branch Canal at Rajupet in Rama Kuppam mandal of Chittoor district. The area falls under the Kuppam Assembly seat which is the sitting seat of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu.
Jagan Mohan Reddy assured the people of Kuppam that Krishna waters would be supplied to 6,300 acres of ayacut, through 110 minor irrigation tanks. An ayacut is defined as the area served by an irrigation project such as a canal, dam or tank.
Naidu ‘incapable’ for Kuppam or as CM: Jagan
Launching an attack on Naidu, Jagan criticized the former chief minister’s ‘eligibility’ to contest from Kuppam. Jagan’s verbal diatribe against Naidu comes a few days after the TDP and Janasena party released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. Andhra, which was bifurcated in Telangana in 2014, goes to polls along with the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a public meeting at Gundisettipalle in Shanthipuram Mandal he said, “Despite being an MLA for 35 years and serving three terms as the chief minister for 14 years, Chandrababu Naidu’s record of serving the poor in his own constituency, Kuppam, is under scrutiny. This raises questions about his eligibility to hold both the position of chief minister and represent the people of Kuppam. It’s a matter worth pondering.”
Recalling how Naidu was defeated in Chanderi when he contested for Assembly polls in 1983, Jagan asked the people of Kuppam to name any development initiatives conducted under the aegis of Naidu. “The people of Chandragiri knew what kind of person Chandrababu Naidu was. If he worked as an MLA in Chandragiri and contested as a minister, the people defeated him by 17,000 votes in 1983,” he added.
“After that, this gentleman came to Kuppam showing his financial strength. Kuppam’s majoritarian population is Backward Classes (BCs). Having ruled for nearly 35 years, show me one house constructed by him? To secure victory as an MLA, he must work with the people here. Failure to prioritize local development raises doubts about his commitment to the constituents,” stated Jagan.
Jagan also promised to supply drinking water to 4.02 lakh people in Kuppam and Palamaneru constituencies. The Kuppam Branch Canal was constructed at a cost of ₹560.29 crore under Phase II of the Anantha Venkat Reddy Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (AVR HNSS) project.
Rs. 1400 Cr welfare to Kuppam women
Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy declared that Rs. 1400 crores have been disbursed directly to the bank accounts of women beneficiaries in the Kuppam constituency alone. “This was made possible through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) without any bias or corruption,” he said.
The YSRCP supremo also said that Kuppam residents can review their bank statements to witness the tangible assistance provided by the government to their accounts over the 57-month tenure, demonstrating the substantial financial aid received.
