Minister for Panchayat Raj, Mines and Geology Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was committed to providing safe drinking water to all families in the State through separate water grid, and the task would be accomplished at the earliest in a phased manner.
Speaking as the chief guest at the swearing-in ceremony of the new body of the Kuppam Rural Electric Co-Operative Society Limited (KRECS) at Kuppam on Saturday, Mr. Ramachandra Reddy said other priority areas were to develop the rural infrastructure such as roads and housing scheme for the poor. “We are committed to creating housing for 25 lakh beneficiaries at 5 lakh units per year. By Ugadi, all the eligible persons would be getting housing sites,” he said.
Referring to Kuppam development, Mr. Reddy said that already the government had sanctioned ₹10 crore for the drinking water needs of the region, and another ₹10 crore would be released soon. “The Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanti waters would be brought to Kuppam in five years. A plan has been made for laying of roads in the rural areas of the region with ₹82 crore. The solar power infrastructure would be completed in Kuppam in five years,” he said.
He said that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu was answerable to the people of Kuppam as to why he had failed to make it a municipality despite representing the constituency for three decades, and being the Chief Minister for three terms. “Within six months of coming to power, the YSRCP government took the initiative to make Kuppam a municipality,” Mr Reddy said.
Pensions
Allaying the fears of the public that the government was resorting to removal of social welfare pensions to a section of people, the Minister said that there was no question of removing the pensions to anyone. “During the previous TDP government, the total numbers of pensions were 52 lakh, and now our government is providing for 54 lakh beneficiaries. After re-verification process, all the eligible persons would be given their pension in March, for two months,” Mr Reddy said.
He inaugurated the new building of KRESCO at Kuppam and the new blocks at the government hospital. He also distributed assets worth ₹15 crore to 440 self-help groups.
