
Minister promises swift completion of Handri-Neeva works
The minister was speaking after inspecting the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) works at Dommanabavi in Thamballapalle constituency of Annamayya district on Friday. Accompanied by local MLA Shahjahan Basha, irrigation officials, engineers, and TDP leaders, Rama Naidu performed a ceremonial ground-breaking (bhumi puja) for the pending works and issued directives to expedite the construction.
Speaking to the media, the minister emphasised that the Chandrababu Naidu-led government is giving the highest importance to irrigation. 'We are committed to completing all irrigation projects in full scale to provide both drinking and irrigation water to the people,' he said.
He pointed out that while the previous TDP government had completed nearly 90 percent of the Handri-Neeva works, the remaining 10 percent was left unfinished by the former administration, leading to dry canals and unused infrastructure. 'Due to negligence, not a drop of water is flowing in the canals today,' he remarked.
The minister also criticised the past government's alleged mismanagement of sand at the summer storage points, which he said led to indiscriminate excavation and depletion. He directed officials to complete pending works at the earliest, particularly before the upcoming monsoon. The government plans to desilt tanks and restore their storage capacity to ensure rainwater can be effectively stored.
'As per the Chief Minister's instructions, we are focusing on delivering water to the last acre of farmland in Rayalaseema. This includes both drinking and irrigation water across the final reaches of the ayacut areas,' Rama Naidu added.
Officials of the irrigation department including SEs, EEs, and AEs, along with public representatives, local TDP and Jana Sena leaders, and several party workers were present.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
33 minutes ago
- NDTV
In Andhra Local Body By-Poll, Jagan Reddy's Big Defeat In Family Stronghold
Hyderabad: Jagan Mohan Reddy 's YSR Congress Party was routed in the Pulivendula zilla parishad territorial constituency, or ZPTC, by-poll Thursday. The ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's candidate, Hemanth Reddy, was thumped by the ruling Telugu Desam Party's Latha Reddy by 6,035 votes. The YSRCP candidate, in fact, secured fewer than 700 votes and lost his election deposit. This is the first time in nearly three decades that an election was held for the Pulivendula ZPTC seat, which had previously been won unopposed by YSRCP candidates. The TDP has celebrated the win as Pulivendula celebrating "independence, just a day before Independence Day". A delighted S Savitha, the Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, also put Jagan Reddy on notice, declaring the TDP will win his family stronghold in the 2029 Assembly election. The defeat has been made worse because the Pulivendula ZPTC falls within the Assembly constituency of the same name, which is a stronghold of the Chief Minister and his family. Mr Reddy has held the Pulivendula Assembly seat since 2014. Before that it was held by his father, YS Rajasekhara Reddy; his mother, YS Vijayammma; and other members of the family, including his uncle Y. S. Purushothama Reddy. Defeat in this prestige battle will come as a big blow for Jagan Reddy, who is also set to lose the Vontimitta ZPTC. At the last update, the TDP's Muddu Krishna Reddy had 6,270 votes to the fewer than 3,200 secured by the YSRCP's Iragamreddy Subbareddy. A furious Jagan Reddy has already demanded the Pulivendula and Vontimitta by-polls be cancelled and a second election be held under the supervision of central forces. READ | "Mockery Of Democracy": Jagan Reddy Slams Andhra Panchayat Bypolls Mr Reddy told reporters booth agents from his YSR Congress Party had been forced to abandon their posts and people had been bullied into voting for the TDP. "Cancel the two elections and re-conduct them under the protection of central forces," he declared. Mr Reddy claimed an estimated 10,600 votes across 15 booths were suspect. He also said around 700 police personnel deployed at these booths to ensure a peaceful election had terrorised voters. And he slammed the shifting of polling booths, saying it was meant to threaten or confuse voters and force them to return without voting. The party will move the court to cancel the election, the former Chief Minister said. With input from agencies


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
ZPTC bypoll: TDP secures historic win in Pulivendula, party candidate Latha Reddy defeats YSRCP candidate Hemanth Reddy by 6,035 votes
TIRUPATI: The ruling TDP secured a historic victory in the Pulivendula ZPTC by-elections after the ruling party candidate M Latha Reddy defeated YSRCP candidate Hemanth Reddy by a margin of 6035 votes. While the TDP successfully made inroads into former Chief minister and YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy's bastion after several decades, the YSRCP candidate, who managed to secure only 683 votes, lost his deposits as the counting concluded on Thursday. According to the EC authorities, while a polling percentage of 76.4 was registered at Pulivendula ZPTC elections, the TDP candidate M Latha Reddy secured 6735 votes, YSRCP candidate Hemanth Reddy secured 683 votes and the Congress party candidate and the remaining 8 independent candidates together secured less than a 100 votes. As the counting drew to an end within one round, the presiding officer declared the TDP candidate M Latha Reddy as elected and handed over her winning declaration. TDP cadres burst crackers and went into celebrations mode near the counting centre at Moulana Azad national Urdu university, at Pulivendula and across Kadapa district. State minister S Savitha hailed the TDP's landslide victory in the Pulivendula ZPTC elections as a victory of democracy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Become Fluent in Any Language Talkpal AI Sign Up Undo 'The YS family developed a dangerous culture where-in opposition parties were not even allowed to file their nominations in the past. But today during the TDP regime, not only were the candidates able to file their nominations without fear or prejudice but the elections were also held in a peaceful and transparent manner', minister Savitha added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
TDP wrests Pulivendula ZPTC, makes dent in Jagan's fortress
Amaravati: In a huge setback to the YSR Congress Party, the Telugu Desam Party on Thursday wrested the Pulivendula ZPTC seat in the home constituency of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The TDP won the by-election to Pulivendula Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) by a huge margin to make big inroads in Pulivendula, seen as the fortress of the YSR family. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was also leading in Ontimitta ZPTC as the counting of votes was underway amid the boycott by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which alleged rigging in the polling held on Tuesday and demanded a re-poll in both the constituencies. In Pulivendula, TDP candidate Latha Reddy defeated Hemanth Reddy of YSRCP by a margin of 6,035 votes. Latha Reddy, wife of former MLC and the ruling party's Pulivendula constituency in-charge, Mareddy Ravindra Reddy (B Tech Ravi), polled 6,716 votes while the YSRCP candidate secured only 683 votes. The candidate of Congress and eight independents secured fewer than 100 votes. About 74 per cent polling was recorded in Pulivendula ZPTC, which has 10,600 voters. The bypoll for Pulivendula ZPTC was necessitated by the death of ZPTC member T. Maheshwar Reddy of YSRCP. The opposition party had fielded his son, Hemanth Reddy. Polling was conducted for the first time in three decades as candidates backed by the YSR family have been winning the seat unanimously. The TDP-led NDA described the conduct of polling as "restoration of democracy". Minister for Backward Classes Welfare S. Savitha termed the TDP's win as a victory of democracy in Pulivendula. She said, "Pulivendula would celebrate Independence, just a day before Independence Day." She exuded confidence that the TDP would capture Jagan's fortress in the next Assembly elections. Pulivendula Assembly seat has been the pocket borough of the YSR family for nearly five decades. The family has never lost an election here since 1978, when Jagan's father and former Chief Minister Y. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) scored his first victory from here. In Ontimitta ZPTC, TDP was leading by a huge margin of over 3,000 votes. TDP's Muddu Krishna Reddy had polled 6,270 votes while YSRCP's Iragamreddy Subbareddy secured 3,165 votes. The constituency, which has 24,000 voters, witnessed 86 per cent polling. The bypoll for Ontimitta was necessitated as its member, Akepati Amarnath Reddy of YSRCP, resigned after winning the Rajampet Assembly election last year. Counting of votes began at 8 a.m. at Maulana Azad National Urdu University polytechnic in Kadapa town. As many as 100 officials, including 30 supervisors, 60 counting assistants and three assistant statistical officers, were deployed for counting. Alleging large-scale irregularities in the polling, YSRCP boycotted the counting. The YSRCP accused TDP of booth capturing, rigging and other electoral malpractices. It demanded the cancellation of the polling and the conduct of a re-poll. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday demanded fresh polling for the by-election to Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTCs under the supervision of Central forces and in a fair manner. He termed the polling held on August 12 a 'mockery of democracy'. He alleged that all polling agents of YSRCP were driven away along with the party sympathisers whose forms and slips were snatched and torn away. He also announced that YSRCP candidates will move the court seeking to cancel the elections.