Dy CM, Ministers to Visit SLBC Project Today

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka along with Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy will visit the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project in Nalgonda district on Friday.

This visit follows through on the promise Vikramarka made during his People's March in 2023 to complete the long-pending project. Bhatti Vikramarka had assured farmers that, upon Congress assuming power, the SLBC tunnel would be completed to provide irrigation water to 4 lakh acres and drinking water to 512 villages in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts.

The Congress leaders alleged that the SLBC tunnel project, which was completed by 80 percent during the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh's Congress government, had been neglected over the past decade under the BRS rule.

"The project would have been completed sometime if the BRS government had allocated Rs.1,000 crore in its first year tenure in power. But, it had neglected, leaving critical sections of the project unfinished. The project, particularly the 10 km tunnel work, remains pending, despite its potential to transform agricultural prospects in the region," they pointed out.

Bhatti's visit will also focus on reviewing the progress of related projects such as Nakkalagandi, Dindi, and Udayasamudram, which have been stalled due to neglect over the past decade.

The Deputy Chief Minister, along with his Ministerial colleagues, will inspect the ongoing work at the SLBC tunnel and meet irrigation officials to ensure the project is on track for timely completion.