Nellore: Former Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy has strongly condemned the recent renaming of the Sangam and Nellore barrages, originally named after Mekapati Goutham Reddy and Nallapureddy Srinivasula Reddy, respectively. He criticized these changes as unnecessary and not in the public interest, demanding the immediate restoration of the original names.
Speaking to the media in Nellore on Tuesday, Kakani took aim at Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, questioning his claims about the Somasila Project. Kakani reminded the public that during Naidu’s tenure as Chief Minister from 1995 to 2004, the Somasila Project was never prioritized, with its storage capacity of 76 TMC never reaching even half its potential. He praised the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for his vision in increasing the flow capacity from the Pothireddypadu head regulator, which was crucial in filling the Somasila reservoir to full capacity.
Kakani also criticized the TDP for ignoring significant irrigation issues, particularly the failure to divert excess water from flowing into the sea. He highlighted that it was only after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy became Chief Minister in 2019 that these critical irrigation projects were completed, including the increase in water flow from the Kandaleru flood flow canal by 11,000 cusecs.
The former minister further criticized Naidu for neglecting the modernization of the Penna Delta and leaving crucial projects unfinished. He emphasized that under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s leadership, the Sangam and Nellore barrages were fully completed, resolving longstanding issues that previous administrations failed to address.
