Farmers in various districts across the State celebrated the inauguration of Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project by bursting fire crackers and distributing sweets near godowns and ration shops decorated by the employees of Civil Supplies Department and ration shop dealers in respective districts.
The IKP women worshipped Paddy weighing machines and played ‘Bathukamma’ and took out ‘Bonalu’ in market yards and purchase centres on Friday. They also performed milk ‘Abhishekam’ to the portraits of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at every godown.
With the inauguration of Kaleswaram project, Agriculture Department would become important followed by the Civil Supplies Department. With increase in ayacut and yield of food grains under the Kaleswaram project, the responsibility of Civil Supplies too would increase. The Department is estimating that the yield in kharif would be double than that of last kharif. This would benefit farmers, organisers of purchase centres, rice millers, hamalis and others.
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The rice millers who will be benefited under the Kaleswaram project celebrated the occasion and offered prayers at Kanyaka Parameswari temples in many areas. In the last two years, about 200 to 300 new rice mills were set up and with the inauguration of Kaleswaram more rice mills might be opened and it would give employment opportunities to many Telangana people, said Rice Millers Association president Gampa Nagender, general secretary Mohan Reddy and treasurer Chandrapal.
Meanwhile Civil Supplies Corporation Commissioner Akun Sabarwal said that the Kaleswaram project would become a model to the country. In the coming days, area of cultivation and food grains yield would increase. This year a target was set to purchase 200 % more paddy than that of last year and they were preparing plans for this. Thanks to the project, employment opportunities would increase for several sections of people particularly rice millers, IKP women and Hamalis.