HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday released Krishna water into the Kuppam branch canal, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the people of the assembly segment that has voted arch-rival N Chandrababu Naidu since 1989.

Addressing a huge public meeting after releasing water at Rajupet village of Chittoor district’s Ramakuppam block, the chief minister said the government worked with a strong commitment to the development of the constituency which had been completely neglected by Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government.

Jagan said his government has upgraded Kuppam from a panchayat to a municipality, besides establishing a revenue division and a police sub-division for the constituency.

He pointed out that the previous TDP government had given administrative sanction to the Kuppam branch canal in 2015 but abandoned it later. “But our government strived hard to bring Krishna water to Kuppam, 540 km upstream and 670 km away from Srisailam as part of the Handri Neeva project,” he said.

The 123.641 km long canal was constructed for ₹560.29 crore to strengthen the command area connecting 110 minor irrigation tanks in the Kuppam constituency, providing irrigation to 6,300 acres in the constituency, besides providing drinking water to 4.02 lakh people.

He said ₹66 crore has been sanctioned for various development works in Kuppam municipality and ₹100 crore for development works in four blocks of the constituency, besides giving administrative approvals for the construction of ₹215 crore reservoir as part of the Palar project.

“We have also given administrative approvals for the construction of two more reservoirs at Madanapalle and Yamiganipalle at a cost of ₹535 crore. These reservoirs will irrigate an additional 5000 acres,” he said.

Accusing Chandrababu Naidu of completely neglecting the constituency that voted for him for more than three decades, Jagan asked whether Naidu deserved to represent the Kuppam constituency. “He has lost his eligibility to be your MLA,” he said.

The chief minister said his government disbursed ₹1,400 crores directly to the bank accounts of women beneficiaries in the Kuppam constituency over the last five years, through transparency and without any bias or corruption, through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

“The people of Kuppam can check their bank statements to witness the tangible assistance provided by the government to their accounts over the 57-month tenure, demonstrating the substantial financial aid received,” he said.

Jagan appealed to the people of Kuppam to vote for YSRCP candidate K J Y Bharat, an OBC candidate, as their representative. “I will give him a ministerial position in my cabinet. Together, we vow to bring further development and welfare initiatives to the Kuppam constituency through him,” he said.

TDP spokesman Kommareddy Pattabhi could not be reached for a reaction.