Andhra CM Naidu releases ₹200 crore additional compensation for Veligonda oustees

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday released ₹200 crore as compensation for families displaced by the Veligonda irrigation project. With this tranche, the total compensation paid by the government so far stands at ₹518 crore.

Representatives of the displaced families met the Chief Minister on the premises of the State Assembly. During the meeting, Mr. Naidu said the government recognises the sacrifices made by farmers and displaced families for major irrigation projects. He assured that the remaining compensation amount would also be released soon.

Officials explained that under the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme, the government had already paid around ₹318 crore to 2,557 families who constructed houses on their own. On Wednesday, Mr. Naidu released a cheque for ₹200 crore under OTS to 1,600 additional displaced families.

The government is also providing infrastructure facilities in seven rehabilitation colonies built for the displaced families. According to officials, infrastructure works have been completed in six of these colonies, except for Vemulakota. The displaced families are gradually moving into houses constructed for them in the Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) colonies.

Water Resources Minister Nimmala Ramanaidu stated that the Veligonda project would benefit people residing in drought-prone and fluoride-affected areas of undivided Prakasam district. Speaking to the media, he recalled that the foundation stone for the project was laid in 1996 by Mr. Naidu.

The Minister noted that former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had inaugurated the Veligonda project before its completion. After the current coalition government assumed office, it set a target to complete the project by August 2026, he said.

“To achieve this, all works related to the head regulator, including the CC walls and wing walls, were completed by May 2026. The works on the 5-km stretch of tunnel that required benching were also completed in these two years,” Mr. Ramanaidu said.

He pointed out that the previous YSRCP government had given up on the task of removing the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). “We are on the verge of removing the TBM, weighing 1,900 tonnes and 175 meters in length. Approximately 300 tonnes of TBM debris is still remaining and it would be cleared within the next five days,” he said.

The Veligonda project has been a long-pending initiative aimed at providing irrigation and drinking water to the drought-prone regions of Prakasam district. The release of compensation is part of the government’s effort to address the needs of families displaced by the project.