AP Irrigation Minister Ambati Rambabu said a section of the media in the state was spreading false information only to help Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu. He said that a section of the media was working in favour of the TDP and was spreading blatant lies.

The Minister said the reports that 250 lift irrigation schemes were not working due to lack of maintenance and lack of funds were not true. He said there are 1032 lift irrigation schemes in the state and the responsibility of their maintenance was given to the societies formed with the farmers of those ayacuts and some of the schemes were not functioning properly due to lack of leadership in these societies and slammed a vernacular publication for holding the present government responsible for it.

The Minister said the report has stated that the Donekallu lift irrigation scheme was started in 1989 and closed in the same year. He wondered how Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy could be responsible for the closure. The Minister strongly condemned the allegations that Ontimitta- Srirama Lift irrigation scheme has been of no use and said it is completely false and explained that water will be pumped from Somasila Project into pond and water will be released for drinking and irrigation purposes from there through gravity and the motors would have been stopped as the pond is full.

The Minister said the state government has been committed to the welfare of the farmers and thus planning to give water for three crops by releasing them early. He said TDP leaders Naidu and Devineni Uma were responsible for damage of the diaphragm wall and the state government is in discussions with CWC and there will be a conclusion to this problem in two to three months.