Chiru sends out tough message on Polavaram

Mass appeal: Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi addressing a meeting at Antarvedi in East Godavari on Wednesday.
ANTARVEDI (Konaseema): Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi warned that there would be a severe drought in the Godavari and Krishna deltas if Polavaram, a major irrigation project on the Godavari, was not accorded national status and constructed on a war-footing.
He was addressing a mammoth public meeting in this small town, which is known for the famous Lakshmi Narasimha Swami temple, before launching his ‘bus yatra' to campaign for according national status to Polavaram Project. Thousands of people from Sakhinetipalli, Malikipuram, Razole thronged the town for the meeting.
Wake-up call
Mr. Chiranjeevi asserted that his yatra was not intended to gain political mileage as there were no elections round the corner. “This is a yatra to wake up the State and Central governments to act quickly on this project which has received all statutory clearances,” he declared.
He recalled that Sir Arthur Cotton, whom he described as ‘Apara Bhageeratha' had done tremendous work on harnessing the waters of the Godavari and Krishna, which had helped the State become the rice bowl of the country.
The PR president alleged that leaders of the State were not paying adequate attention to put pressure on the Central government to declare Polavaram as a national project.
He said Polavaram would irrigate six districts in the coastal region, as also Rayalaseema through the balancing reservoirs and the Gundlakamma project besides parts of Telangana.
Mr. Chiranjeevi declared that the PR would fight tooth and nail on behalf of the farmers to see that Polavaram was declared a national project. He criticised some Ministers who were placing hurdles in the completion of the project and trying to divide the State.
The meeting, which was presided over by the district PR chief Jyothula Nehru, was organised by the “Polavaram Sadhana Samiti.” Senior party leaders Kotagiri Vidhyadhara Rao, C. Ramachandraiah, Lieutenant Murthy Jasti, MLAs Vanga Geetha, Pantham Gandhi Mohan, K. Kanna Babu, B. Satyananda Rao and M. Sridhara Krishna Reddy (Nellore) and others attended the meeting.