23-05-2025
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.
