IT Minister N. Lokesh at a public meeting at Macherla in Guntur district on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: T_VIJAYA_KUMAR more-in The long-pending project to address the water scarcity of the Palnadu region – Palnadu water grid – will be taken up soon, Minister for Panchayat Raj, Information Technology and Rural Development N. Lokesh said here on Tuesday. Addressing the ‘Grama Darshini’ meeting at Motukuru village in Macherla Assembly constituency, Mr. Lokesh said the ambitious project was estimated to cost ?1,150 crore. On completion, the project would solve the water problem being faced by the people of Macherla, Vinukonda, and Gurazala constituencies. The project had been proposed by Narsraopet MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao in 2014. After much delay, DPRs were sent to the Centre, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank had agreed to fund it. But the grants had been diverted to the Panchayat Raj Department and since then the project has been shelved. Assuring that a discussion on the project would be held on Wednesday, Mr. Lokesh said the government would explore the possibility of executing the project through loans. The Minister said that ?215 crore had been sanctioned for digging borewells and supplying water through tankers in the Palnadu region. Criticises Jagan, Pawan Later, addressing a public meeting, Mr. Lokesh launched a tirade against YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, and said though he had challenged Mr. Pawan to prove the charges against him, the latter did not accept it. “What was Mr. Pawan doing when the TDP tabled the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha?” he asked. “Mr. Jagan is using foul language against the Chief Minister, who is of the age of his father,” Mr. Lokesh observed. Asserting that the TDP government had fulfilled all its poll promises, he said 54 lakh people were being given pension. “Now, 12 lakh unemployed youth are being given social security allowance,” he added. Mr. Sambasiva Rao; Ministers P. Pulla Rao and N. Ananda Babu; Collector Kona Sasidhar; and MLAs Y. Srinivasa Rao and Y.V. Anjaneyulu were present.

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