MLA Janardhana Reddy visited the Tungabhadra reservoir on December 29 and inspected the ongoing crest gate installation works.
During the visit, he reviewed the progress of the operation and gathered details from technical experts and officials of the company entrusted with the installation. Addressing the media later, Reddy said the crest gate installation work is already underway, with gate number 18 being installed first. The process is expected to be completed within four days, after which any defects identified will be rectified.
He said three teams will then be deployed to install all 33 gates. The entire installation work is scheduled to be completed by the end of April, ensuring that all corrections are made before the next monsoon. Reddy also stated that ₹20 crore has been released by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the project, while the state government has contributed ₹10 crore.
Demand for compensation
Reddy pointed out that despite sufficient water availability in the reservoir, farmers in the achukattu region were denied water for the second crop. He said compensation of ₹25,000 per acre has been demanded from the government and that the BJP will continue to press for it. He added that canal repairs should be taken up alongside the gate installation work.
CM–DK power-sharing agreement
Commenting on the political situation, Reddy said the power-sharing understanding between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is genuine. He expressed confidence that Siddaramaiah will honour his word, reiterating that he has maintained this position since the Sandur by-election. According to him, power is to be shared equally between the two leaders, as decided by the Congress high command. He said a final decision on the transition would be taken after the handover, based on an auspicious date, adding that it is an internal party matter.