Irrigation Dept to recruit 2,500 Engrs to fill shortage

As the Irrigation Department is facing a shortage of engineers, the government has decided to recruit 1,100 Assistant engineer posts through Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission, Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah said on Tuesday.

The department would also recruit 1,300 additional engineer posts through the state government to fill the shortage, the Minister asserted.

Mr Lakshmaiah also stated the government has to clear pending bills of contactors to the tune of Rs 3,900 crore till March 31, 2010 in connection with Jalayagnam irrigation project works. 

Talking to media persons after emerging out of a review meeting over land acquisition and Jalayagnam works at Secretariat with his officials, Mr Lakshmaiah said that the government has so far cleared Rs 2,700 crore pending bills to contractors so far. The arrears would be cleared soon, he stated.

Mr Lakshmaiah said that the government needed to pay Rs 9,600 crore for acquisition of lands for irrigation projects. The government released Rs 4,700 crore for land acquisition so far, he pointed out.

The Minister said that the government has allocated Rs 500 crore for rehabilitation and compensation for victims who were evicted for construction of dams. A sum of Rs 500 crore would be utilized for afforestation due to submergence of dam waters, he pointed out.