Drought-prone Rayalaseema now global horticulture hub: Naidu

Tirupati: Chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to drought-prone Rayalaseema region, declaring that the area once known for water distress is now being transformed into a global horticulture hub. Addressing a public meeting after distributing Pattadar passbooks to beneficiaries under the ‘Mee Bhumi-Mee Hakku' initiative at Kalugatla village in Yemmiganur assembly constituency of Kurnool district, Naidu launched a scathing attack on the previous administration's land policies and pledged that his govt would ensure no one could ever cast an evil eye on farmers' properties again.He highlighted the return of state seal (Rajamudra) on land documents, replacing the personal photographs of former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. "The new passbooks are equipped with QR codes and unique security features designed to make them tamper-proof. The first thing I did after assuming office was to repeal the Land Titling Act, which was a tool for state-sponsored land grabbing. Nearly 80% of grievances I receive today are related to land disputes created by the previous govt. They used Section 22A to freeze private lands and then used their henchmen to coerce farmers into selling the land at throwaway prices," he alleged.The CM said the govt has set an ambitious target to digitise and secure every land record in the state. "About 37.4 lakh passbooks are already ready to be distributed to beneficiaries. By April, the govt has set a target to prepare 18 lakh additional passbooks to be distributed. By Dec 2027, we will distribute the total pending 62 lakh passbooks to beneficiaries," he asserted.Reaffirming his roots as "son of Rayalaseema", Naidu promised that the NDA govt will prioritise the region's water needs. He vowed to complete the Vedavati project in West Kurnool, along with Guru Raghavendra and Rajolibanda projects, to ensure every acre has access to irrigation. "We are here to provide welfare and development simultaneously. Whether it is Polavaram, Amaravati, or the industries in Rayalaseema, our decisions are moving at lightning speed. Rayalaseema is currently contributing over 200 lakh metric tonnes of horticultural produce annually — a testament to the strategic irrigation and drip-technology initiatives implemented by the govt," he added.Accusing the YSRCP govt of "criminal negligence" in protecting irrigation assets, he said the previous rulers "drowned Polavaram" in the Godavari. "By allowing the diaphragm wall to be washed away, they caused a loss of ₹400 crore. We are now spending an additional ₹1,000 crore to rebuild it," Naidu said. He also promised that power tariffs will not be increased so that the public does not bear the burden of the state's past financial mismanagement.