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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
As charges swirl, KLIS duel boils over
Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy slammed former minister T Harish Rao , alleging that Telangana's irrigation sector suffered irreversible damage due to the faulty decisions made by the BRS govt. He demanded Harish Rao tender an unconditional apology for misleading the people of the state on the Kaleshwaram project. In a statement on Saturday, Uttam refuted the allegations levelled by Harish Rao and claimed that after the BRS govt inaugurated the project in 2019, only 162 TMC of water was lifted, of which 63 TMC was released into the sea. He demanded an answer from Harish on how the BRS govt managed to irrigate 22 lakh acres with just 99 TMC. "The BRS govt took out rallies after their delegation returned from Maharashtra and announced that a barrage would be constructed at Thummidihatti. A gravity canal was also constructed from Thummidihatti to Yellampally, covering a distance of 100 km. While that was a gravity-based project, Kaleshwaram relies on reverse pumping — only to release a huge quantity of water into sea," the minister claimed. He also dismissed allegations that the previous Congress govt had spent very little on the Pranahitha-Chevella project. He said before the formation of state, 6,156 crore was spent on the project and by 2016, it rose to 11,679 crore. The minister further said the Central Water Commission had never claimed there was no water availability at Thummidithatti. He said that had the BRS govt completed the project at the site with about 38,000 crore, it could have irrigated 17 lakh acres of new ayacut up to Chevella — eliminating the need for 1 lakh crore for the Kaleshwaram project. Of the remaining amount of 62,000 crore (if Pranahitha-Chevella was taken up with 38,000 cr), the govt could have completed many projects such as Palamuru, Nettampadu, Bheema, SLBC, Dindi, Sitharama, and other projects, Uttam claimed. He further said the govt was paying 16,000 crore in interest on the loans taken by the BRS govt for the Kaleshwaram project.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Uttam dares BRS leaders to appear before Kaleshwaram commission if they are confident of no lapses
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy dared the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders to appear before the judicial commission headed by P.C. Ghose if they are confident that there are no lapses in the construction of the Kaleshwaram project in their government. The Judicial Commission is an independent body and it is not related to the government and experts are pointing out lapses in the construction of Kaleshwaram. 'They (BRS leaders) can submit proofs, if any, about the sabotage after the Congress took over the reins,' he said. The Minister said the BRS was indulging in lies, afraid of the notices served by the Commission. The Minister wondered as to how the project cost escalated to ₹1.2 lakh crore against the initial estimate of ₹84,000 crore. This was confirmed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Coupled with this, the then government misled people that there was no availability of water at Tummidihatti and changed the barrage venue to Medigadda 'in lure of commissions'. 'It is not proper to cast aspersions on the judicial commission,' he said. Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy took strong objections to BRS leaders' claims that the damages observed in the barrages were orchestrated by the Congress after it took over the reins in the State. 'The First Information Report on Medigadda was filed during the BRS regime. Why was it not ascertained whether there were explosives planted at the barrage sites?' he asked, adding there would be legal action against leaders who made claims on bombs being planted at Medigadda barrage. The Minister said taking up the project at Tummidihatti would have cost ₹38,000 crore only, and the government could have completed SLBC, Sitaramasagar, Dindi and other projects with the costs incurred on Kaleshwaram project.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Uttam urges swift completion of irrigation projects in Telangana
1 2 3 Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday directed irrigation officials and implementing agencies to expedite the completion of all ongoing irrigation projects in the state, stressing that the Congress govt was committed to delivering more ayacut with less expenditure. He said that a comprehensive review of irrigation projects was held on May 14 at Jala Soudha with chief minister A Revanth Reddy, during which clear timelines were set for the completion of each ongoing and pending scheme. "All works must be taken up on a war footing. Special focus was being laid on speeding up five key projects in the combined Mahabubnagar district - Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bhima, Koilsagar, and Palamuru-Ranga Reddy. The SLBC, Dindi, and Udayasamudram projects in the combined Nalgonda district, and the Sitarama project in the combined Khammam district, were also prioritised in the recent review. Completion of the Devadula and Gauravelli projects in North Telangana was also identified as a high priority," he said. He added that works on the Tummadihatti project would begin shortly. "We are exploring the most advanced technology available globally to continue the SLBC tunnel works. A Heliborne Electromagnetic Survey and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) surveys would be conducted by involving the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and other national institutions before resuming construction," he said.
