SIDDIPET/KARIMNAGAR
All hurdles before the Gouravelli project have been cleared and works are progressing at a brisk pace, Minister for Transport and Backward Classes Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar said on Wednesday.
Addressing villagers at Duddenapalli in Saidapur mandal after launching the mass contact programme ‘Palle Palleku Ponnam Anna – Palle Pallello Praja Palana’, he said land acquisition for the project’s canals was underway. The project would be completed at the earliest and irrigation water would be provided to an ayacut of 1.06 lakh acres.
The outreach programme is aimed at covering all 173 villages in Husnabad Assembly constituency and addressing people’s grievances promptly by involving the concerned government departments. The objective is to take the administration to the doorsteps of people focusing on basic amenities, drinking water, roads, drainage, electricity, school, anganwadis and health centres.
The Minister inaugurated a Palle Dawakhana building constructed at a cost of ₹20 lakh and interacted with the villagers at Rythu Vedika in Duddenapalli. He later inaugurated similar buildings at Eklaspur and Vennamapalli villages in Saidapur mandal.
Speaking on welfare and development programmes, Mr. Prabhakar said new pensions would be sanctioned in a saturation mode to cover all eligible beneficiaries, including widows, single women, persons with disabilities, toddy tappers and handloom workers. Applications for new pensions would be received till August 31.
He urged villagers to take up water conservation measures, including farm ponds and soak pits, under the Telangana Jalasri programme, in view of the potential impact of El Nino. He also advised farmers to take up less water-intensive alternative crops.
The Minister said the government would provide ₹5 lakh to gram panchayats that complete oil palm cultivation on 200 acres. He said ₹3.56 crore had been sanctioned for construction of the Duddenapalli-Mogilipalli bridge.
He highlighted the State government’s flagship welfare schemes, including Indiramma housing and Rythu Bharosa. The Minister also received petitions from villagers and directed officials to take steps for their time-bound redressal.
Published – August 19, 2026 07:52 pm IST
