The Hindu Business Line : Sonia vows to save Krishna delta

THE Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, has promised farmers in the Krishna delta that, if voted to power, her party will construct the Pulichintala balancing reservoir on the Krishna, hanging fire for several years, to provide assured irrigation to the century-old delta.

She was speaking at a public meeting here on Friday at the conclusion of her three-day election visit to the State. Blaming the Telugu Desam Government in the State and the NDA Government at the Centre for neglecting the farm sector, Ms Gandhi said more than 3,000 farmers had committed suicide in Andhra Pradesh alone due to the ``flawed policies of the Government''.

She said the Congress would care for ``the farmers, fishermen, weavers and others who have been marginalised under the TDP-NDA regime'' and they would be accorded priority in formulating and implementing various schemes.

Referring to the Pulichintala project, she said that the Telugu Desam had laid foundation stones several times for the project but it had not been pursued. ``We will take it up and we will also take up the Polavaram project on the Godavari,'' she promised the farmers.

(It may be noted that Pulichintala project is opposed by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, with which the Congress has struck up a poll alliance.)

Ms Gandhi also blamed the Telugu Desam Government for ``privatising the Kakinada deepwater port'', which had been conceived and implemented by the Congress party. She promised to develop the other minor ports along the coast - Machilipatnam, Vodarevu and Krishnapatnam.

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