{
  "id": 4632248,
  "title": "Credit war over Veligonda: Jagan says his father built it, Lokesh says his did",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/credit-war-over-veligonda-jagan-says-his-father-built-it-lokesh-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T11:04:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/credit-war-over-veligonda-jagan-says-his-father-built-it-lokesh-says-his-did/article71410370.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A heated verbal dispute has erupted over the credit for the Veligonda irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh between the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the IT Minister Nara Lokesh. The YSRCP's Jagan claims that Veligonda was primarily a creation of his father, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, while Lokesh dismisses the idea, stating that Jagan inaugurated an unfinished irrigation project in 2024 without water. Jagan argues that his father laid the foundation stone for the project, but it was his government that completed the challenging twin tunnels, bringing water to millions of families affected by fluorosis and those lacking access to safe drinking water. Despite the progress made, Jagan questions the lack of water distribution to the Nallamala Sagar project and demands the completion of a government-run hospital and medical college in Markapuram.",
  "summary": "Jagan Mohan Reddy said 20 of the twin tunnels’ 37.5 km were dug in his father’s tenure and asked why water had not reached Nallamala Sagar for 26 months; the Nara Lokesh shared visuals of the March 2024 event, calling it an inauguration without water",
  "key_points": [
    "YSRCP president Jagan claims Veligonda project built by his father, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.",
    "IT Minister Lokesh disputes Jagan's claim, says project unfinished in 2024.",
    "Jagan demands completion of Nallamala Sagar project and hospital in Markapuram."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}