Jagan Mohan Reddy accuses Naidu of hijacking Veligonda project credit

Reddy challenged Naidu’s narrative on the social media platform X, arguing that while the Chief Minister laid the project’s foundation stone in 1996, he made no meaningful progress during his subsequent eight-year tenure. According to the YSRCP chief, the project only gained momentum under the vision of his father, the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, as part of the Jalayagnam initiative.

The technical backbone of the project—the 37.587-km twin tunnels—became a point of sharp contention. Reddy noted that 20.333 km of the tunneling was completed during the YSR era, while the TDP’s 2014–2019 administration finished only 6.686 km without achieving a single breakthrough. The most difficult remaining 10.568 km, he stated, was finalized by his own government despite pandemic-related constraints, with the tunnels dedicated to the nation in March 2024.

Beyond irrigation, the former Chief Minister criticized the current administration for allegedly neglecting the Rehabilitation and Resettlement package for displaced families. He highlighted reports of electricity and water supplies being cut to villages before full compensation was paid. Furthermore, he questioned the stalling of the 131-bed Super Speciality Hospital at Peddadornala and the potential privatization of the Government Medical College at Markapuram. Reddy urged the government to abandon the publicity campaign and instead prioritize filling the Nallamala Sagar reservoir and completing essential healthcare infrastructure in the Prakasam region.