Veligonda Project: Jagan Claims Entire Credit

Andhra Pradesh is set to witness another major milestone on irrigation front as the first phase of the historical Veligonda project is set to be inaugurated this Monday by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Designed to bring Krishna River waters into Nallamala Sagar, the project promises essential drinking water to fluoride-affected villages and vital irrigation to thousands of acres of farmland in Prakasam, Markapuram, Nellore, and Kadapa districts.

Just like the Bhogapuram airport, this event also sparked a political war for credit between the ruling dispensation and the YSR Congress party as YS Jagan wants to take the entire credit for the completion of this project.

He took to X and wrote a long post which attributes credit for Veligonda project to his party and his father, the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Jagan alleged that although Chandrababu Naidu laid the original foundation stone back in 1996, the project saw very little progress for nearly a decade afterward.

Jagan also credited YSR’s Jala Yagnam which built core dams, canals, and massive twin underground tunnels for the project. He also claimed that his own administration took on the most difficult task of digging the final 10.5 kilometers of these twin tunnels.

He blamed Naidu’s government for not taking up the rehabilitation program on a serious note for the last 26 months after coming to power and also caused anguish among the villagers who were displaced without any compensation. He lashed out at the ruling party for its publicity over stealing the credit.

While Jagan’s supporters rally behind him, it should be noted that the coalition government under Chandrababu Naidu prioritized pushing the project across the finish line by tackling the remaining obstacles. In recent months, the current government spent over ₹2,400 crore to complete essential feeder canals, head regulators, and canal linings.

More importantly, Naidu’s administration focused on settling long-delayed Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) packages, disbursing hundreds of crores in compensation to thousands of displaced families so the reservoir could finally be filled without causing unaddressed public harm.