Credit dispute erupts over Veligonda project

A political dispute has broken out in Andhra Pradesh over who deserves credit for the construction of the Veligonda irrigation project, with former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president S. Jagan Mohan Reddy claiming it was his father's achievement, and IT Minister Nara Lokesh dismissing the claim as baseless.

In a social media post, Reddy said that although the foundation for the project was laid by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the credit for its construction, including the huge twin tunnels, should go to his father, S. Rajasekhara Reddy. "The foundation stone is all yours. The resolve and comprehensive construction belong to YS sir. The completion of the key twin tunnels is our government's achievement. What's happening now is your credit theft," he wrote, according to The Hindu.

Reddy's remarks were part of a broader attack on Naidu, whom he accused of attempting to "steal credit" and "distorting history" through a massive publicity campaign, as reported by ANI. He asserted that Naidu only laid the foundation stone in 1996, while his father gave the project its vision and the subsequent YSRCP government completed the most challenging technical works.

The history of the project

Reddy provided a detailed breakdown of the project's timeline, alleging that Naidu had "washed his hands" of the project after "hastily" laying the foundation in the run-up to the 1996 elections, and that the project did not move forward even a single step during Naidu's eight years in power until 2004. According to Reddy, only Rs 10 lakh was spent during those years, and that amount went entirely to the foundation stone ceremony and public meeting arrangements.

He said his father, after becoming Chief Minister, gave the Veligonda Project a comprehensive shape as part of Jalayagnam, taking up the construction of the twin tunnels, Nallamala Sagar reservoir, three dams, feeder channel and main canals. Reddy also said the TDP government between 2014 and 2019 completed only 6.686 km of the tunnel, without achieving a single breakthrough.

According to Reddy, the twin tunnels are 37.587 km long, and without them Krishna waters cannot reach the project. He said 20.333 km of the tunnel was completed during construction initiated under his father, and the remaining 10.568 km was completed under the YSRCP government despite COVID-19 and financial constraints. The YSRCP government completed Tunnel-1 in January 2021 and Tunnel-2 in January 2024, and the tunnels were dedicated to the nation on March 6, 2024, he added.

Lokesh's response

Lokesh dismissed Reddy's claim, saying that Reddy had "created history" in 2024 by inaugurating an irrigation project without any water in it. In a reply to visuals of the March 2024 event, Lokesh wrote: "Look closely at the visuals. In 2024, Jagan created history. He 'inaugurated' an irrigation project without any water in it. A fake inauguration, only the YSRCP could pull off." The Hindu reported Lokesh's remarks.

Reddy, meanwhile, questioned why water had not been diverted to Nallamala Sagar in the 26 months since the tunnels were readied. He also alleged that hundreds of displaced families had yet to receive their dues under the rehabilitation package, and that some families were being forced to vacate their villages with electricity and water supply cut off, as reported by ANI and The Hindu.

Project's significance and other concerns

Reddy described the Veligonda project as a "lifeline" for lakhs of families who had no access to safe drinking water and were severely affected by fluorosis, as well as for farmers waiting for irrigation water. He welcomed the project's completion, calling it his father's dream.

He also raised concerns about the stalling of the 131-bed Super Speciality Hospital at Peddadornala and the alleged privatisation of the Government Medical College at Markapuram, according to ANI. Reddy expressed astonishment at what he called the "yellow media's frenzy" over Veligonda, describing Naidu's recent campaign as a "publicity gimmick" and an attempt to steal credit for the project's construction.