Andhra Pradesh Leaders Trade Barbs Over Veligonda Project Credit

Andhra Pradesh's political leadership has become embroiled in a fresh controversy over credit for the Veligonda irrigation project, with Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and opposition leader Nara Lokesh trading competing claims about the scheme's development.

Reddy argued that 20 of the project's 37.5 kilometres of twin tunnels were excavated during his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's tenure as Chief Minister. He questioned why water had not reached Nallamala Sagar reservoir for 26 months, raising concerns about the pace of work under the current administration.

Located in Andhra Pradesh's Nallamala region, the Veligonda project is a major irrigation initiative designed to transfer water between river basins. The infrastructure work has been a long-standing development priority for the state.

In response, Lokesh cited visuals from a March 2024 event, characterizing it as an inaugural ceremony despite the absence of water flow through the completed sections. The TDP leader's reference suggested the project had been presented as complete or functional when substantial challenges remained.

The exchange reflects the broader political tensions between the ruling YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party as they compete for political credit on development projects ahead of future electoral contests in the southern state.