Veligonda Project Phase One Inaugurated; Founder's Daughters Felicitated

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the first phase of the Veligonda Project on Monday, in a ceremony held at Gantavanipalli village in Dornala mandal, Markapuram district.

During the public meeting, the Chief Minister felicitated Sunanda and Vilasini, the daughters of the late Communist leader Poola Subbaiah, after whom the project is named. The honour recognised Subbaiah's decades-long campaign for water security in the drought-prone region.

Subbaiah, a former MLA from Markapuram, had led sustained movements demanding the diversion of Krishna River waters to the western parts of Prakasam district, which suffered from acute shortages of irrigation and drinking water. His efforts led to the project's initiation during the tenure of TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh. Later, in response to public demand, then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy named the project after Subbaiah.

Speaking at the event, Vilasini described the occasion as deeply emotional, noting that her family had never expected to see the project become a reality. She praised Mr. Naidu as a visionary leader and thanked Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu for completing the work. She added that the people of Prakasam, Nellore, and Kadapa districts would always remember her father's contributions.