KHAMMAM: Minister for Excise and Tourism V Srinivas Goud said on Saturday that the Telangana government and its people would not take it lightly if the Andhra Pradesh government raised the height of the Polavaram dam.
Addressing the media at Ramalayam in Bhadrachalam after visiting the temple, Goud said there were many concerns among devotees and people on the possibility of the temple and Bhadrachalam town getting submerged due to increase in height of the Polavaram dam.
He recalled that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao too had appealed several times to the Union government and the AP government to not increase the dam’s height, and he too appealed for the same. He urged the Union government to put pressure on AP in this regard. Referring to the five gram panchayats and seven mandals around Bhadrachalam which went to Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation, the Minister appealed the AP government to return the land, measuring 1,800 acres. He said taking temple land would not be good for the AP government.
Talking about development of the temple, the Minister said the Chief Minister was great a devotee, as a result of which the Yadadri and Vemulawada temples were developed with `1,400 crore, and assured that Bhadrachalam would also be developed in future. The Minister revealed that as per the CM’s directions, officers of concerned departments were directed to come to the temple town and prepare proposals to improve tourism.
He said due to the ‘Chandi Yagam’ conducted by the CM, the State was growing well. Later, he, along with Ministers Puvvada Ajay Kumar and Satyavathi Rathod, inaugurated a new building of the Excise office and other development works.
Appeal to Andhra Pradesh govt
Referring to the five grama panchayats and seven mandals around Bhadrachalam which went to Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation, the Minister appealed the AP government to return the land, measuring 1,800 acres. He said taking temple land was not good for the AP govt
