BRS MLA Harish Rao defends Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, slams Congress for ‘misinformation campaign'

Time of India

6 hours ago

Hyderabad: Stating that the Congress govt was spreading misinformation about the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) mainly to discredit the previous BRS regime, former minister and BRS MLA T
Harish Rao
asserted that Kaleshwaram is the lifeline of Telangana.
Kaleshwaram is not just the Medigadda barrage alone, he added.
According to the irrigation department, the Kaleshwaram project has irrigated 20.33 lakh acres, with 98,000 acres of new ayacut created since its inauguration. However, CM Revanth Reddy and irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy have been quoting different figures on the area irrigated under Kaleshwaram, with some even claiming that not a single new acre was brought under cultivation.
Harish Rao, who held the irrigation portfolio during the first term of the BRS govt (2014–2018), dismissed allegations regarding the shifting of the Kaleshwaram project location from Thummidihatti to Medigadda, the cost escalation, the actual ayacut created, and other related issues. He addressed these through a detailed PowerPoint presentation at Telangana Bhavan on Saturday.
"The BRS is not afraid of the Congress party's smear campaign.
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We have answers to every false allegation made by the ruling Congress govt. I will appear before Justice (retired) PC Ghose and respond to all queries," Harish Rao said.
He stated that while two piers at Medigadda had sunk, the Congress govt was using that incident to label the entire Kaleshwaram project a failure.
"Let me set the record straight: Kaleshwaram is not just Medigadda. It comprises three barrages, 15 reservoirs, 21 pump houses, 19 substations, 203 km of tunnels, 141 tmcft of storage capacity, and 240 tmcft of water utilisation," the former minister said.
Harish Rao explained that the BRS govt shifted the project location from Thummidihatti to Medigadda due to the lack of water availability. The earlier Pranahitha-Chevella project, he said, was designed for just 11 tmcft, whereas the Kaleshwaram project was planned for 141 tmcft.
"The Congress is claiming that higher paddy production was achieved without Kaleshwaram. But the project has three sources — one is the SRSP flood flow canal up to Mid Manair, the second is water from Kadam to Yellampally, and the third is Medigadda, which is used to lift water during dry spells.
Cultivation has been taken up under reservoirs like Annapurna Sagar, Ranganayaka Sagar, Mallanna Sagar, and Kondapochamma Sagar," he said.
He added that the KLIS cost increased due to the addition of more components and expansion of ayacut. Harish Rao accused the previous Congress govt (2007–2014) of grossly mismanaging the Pranahitha-Chevella project.
"Despite having governments at the Centre, in Maharashtra, and in undivided Andhra Pradesh, the Congress could not secure approvals for Tummidihatti.
They spent ₹2,328 crore without achieving any results and misused ₹1,052 crore, as per the CAG report. Leaders like Komatireddy, Uttam, and Sridhar Babu were in charge, while Revanth Reddy — then in the TDP — called it a 'Dhana Yagna,'" he said.
The ex-minister further stated that Congress initially estimated the Pranahitha-Chevella project cost at Rs 17,875 crore, later raised it to Rs 38,500 crore without completing any work, and finally proposed Rs 40,286 crore to the Centre. Uttam Kumar Reddy's claim that Rs 10,000 crore was spent was false, as only Rs 3,724 crore was actually used, he said.
Harish Rao said the BRS govt had approached the Maharashtra govt and secured the necessary approvals and permissions to execute the project.
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