Latest news with #Palamuru-Rangareddy
Hans India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Harish calls for all-party meet to discuss Banakacharla proj
Hyderabad: Alleging that the AP government was conspiring to take away 200 tmcft from the Godavari River through Banakacharla project and condemning the Congress and BJP for failing to protect Telangana's water rights, senior BRS leader T Harish Rao on Sunday demanded special Assembly session and an all-party meeting to discuss the serious issue. Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, he attacked both the Telangana government and the Centre, accusing them of jointly undermining the irrigation interests of Telangana. Rao expressed grave concern over what he described as a 'well-orchestrated conspiracy' to divert the Godavari river water to AP through the controversial Banakacharla project. Rao said, 'Telangana's hard-earned right of water is once again under threat, this time due to the inaction and indifference of the Congress in Telangana.' He alleged that AP was aggressively pushing forward with the Banakacharla project without securing any mandatory approvals, neither from the Apex Council, nor from the Central Water Commission, nor from environmental bodies. No consent has been taken from Telangana or other riparian States, a violation of the AP Reorganisation Act. 'This is nothing short of bulldozing established norms,' Rao said, adding that Central agencies appear to be complicit by their silence and support. He highlighted the 'hypocrisy' of AP leaders, pointing out that CM N Chandrababu Naidu was writing multiple letters to stop Telangana's own projects, including Kaleshwaram, Palamuru-Rangareddy and Bhakta Ramadasu, citing environmental and legal concerns. Naidu even moved the National Green Tribunal and raised objections with the Centre. Yet, today, the same leaders were executing a completely new Godavari project without any scrutiny. Alleging bias by the Centre, Rao said it was maintaining double standards. He pointed out that while Polavaram was granted national project status and received over Rs 80,000 crore in Central funding, Telangana's major irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram and Sitarama have been denied similar recognition. Now, the Centre is reportedly offering to fund 50 per cent of Banakacharla through grants, while allowing AP to raise the remaining via FRBM-limit exemptions, a privilege never extended to Telangana. He questioned how the Centre could offer financial assistance to a project that has zero legal approvals. 'Why is the BJP treating Telangana like a stepchild?' Is there no value for efforts Telangana made to build sustainable irrigation?' he asked. Rao called for a special Assembly session to pass a unanimous resolution opposing the project, and approaching the Supreme Court for a stay.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BRS' arrogance led to collapse of Kaleshwaram project: Uttam
Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy criticised the previous BRS govt, blaming its arrogance and corruption for the collapse of the Kaleshwaram project and the irreversible damage caused to the state's financial and irrigation systems. "If construction was taken up at Tummidihatti, this situation would never have arisen," he said. Speaking to the media in Huzurnagar on Saturday after a detailed review of development works in Huzurnagar and Kodad, the minister said, "Tummidihatti, designed by the Congress under the Dr BR Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Sujala Sravanthi project with an estimated cost of ₹38,000 crore, was deliberately set aside by the BRS govt because they did not want the Congress to get credit. Instead, they shifted the plan to Medigadda and launched Kaleshwaram, lured by commissions. " He said the Kaleshwaram cost was suddenly inflated to ₹1.2 lakh crore from the original ₹38,000 crore. "Just because commissions were not coming their way, they dumped a viable project and took up an unnecessary, faulty one. And the result is in front of us—the same Kaleshwaram collapsed under their own tenure," he said, terming it a textbook case of greed and misgovernance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning For Working Professionals. BITS Pilani WILP Apply Now Undo Uttam said if the Congress' original Tummidihatti plan was completed with ₹38,000 crore, the remaining ₹62,000 crore could have been used to complete several pending irrigation projects across Telangana. "Projects such as Palamuru-Rangareddy, Koilsagar, Bhima, Nettempadu, Kalwakurthy, SLBC, Dindi, Devadula, Gouravelli, and Sitarama—all could have been completed. Telangana would have become lush and agriculturally self-sufficient," he asserted. The minister said that due to the misadventures of the BRS govt, the state now has to repay ₹16,000 crore every year, including interest. "These loans have now become a generational burden and will haunt us for the next three generations," Uttam said. He asserted that the judicial probe headed by Justice PC Ghose is fully transparent and unbiased. "The commission is functioning independently and lawfully. Whatever action is taken will be based on the commission's findings and the people's mandate," he said, reiterating the govt's commitment to accountability.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Those responsible for failure of Kaleshwaram Barrages can't escape punishment: Minister Uttam Reddy
HYDERABAD If any government in the State had harmed the interests of farmers and people, including in the irrigation sector, it was that of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) during the 2014-23 period, Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged here on Friday. The Minister also condemned the remarks of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, who blamed the Congress for the damage suffered by the Medigadda Barrage of the Kaleshwaram project and reasoned that it could be out of fear to appear before the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission of Inquiry into the irregularities in the project. 'They are shivering with the instance of just getting notices from the inquiry Commission. In case they had not committed anything wrong, why are they hesitating to depose before the judicial panel?', he said, adding that if at all they had any suspicion of bombs for the barrage damage, they could as well tell it before the Commission. Besides, it was BRS that was in power when the damage had taken place, and they could have revealed the conspiracy. They were shamelessly trying to cover up their mistakes, and the correspondence between the irrigation department and the work agency L&T shows that the barrage had problems from the beginning. He explained that the Congress government had instituted a judicial probe to find the facts and take action as per law. The CAG, NDSA and Vigilance had all faulted the lapses in every stage of their execution, he noted. Referring to the Pranahita-Chevella project taken up by the previous Congress in 2007, he said it was planned with ₹38,000 crore and ₹10,000 crore was spent on canals. Only one lift could have brought water from Tummidihatti Barrage to Yellampally reservoir with 100 km of gravity flow. The network thereafter was included in the Pranahita Chevella project itself and the same was executed as part of Kaleshwaram. Of the ₹1 lakh crore spent so far on Kaleshwaram, ₹62,000 crore could have been saved and it could have been used for completing Palamuru-Rangareddy, Devadula, SLBC, Dindi, Sita Rama, Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar, Bhima and others. He reminded that the CAG report had termed Kaleshwaram as a 'white elephant' for Telangana. The Minister reiterated that those responsible cannot escape punishment as their mistakes had cost the State ₹21,000 crore spent on the Link-I of the Kaleshwaram project, which comprises three barrages and their pump houses to carry water to Yellampalli.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
PCC chief challenges KTR's claims on PRLI scheme court verdict
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud has strongly countered BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao's claims that the Supreme Court has given a clean chit on the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, and accused him of misleading the public and trying to cover up past corruption. Responding to KTR's claims, Mr Mahesh Goud reminded that it was Nagam Janardhan Reddy, then a Congress leader, who had filed the case against irregularities in the scheme. 'With full evidence, he exposed the misdeeds in the project. Later, he was taken into the BRS party, and the case was diluted deliberately,' Mr. Goud alleged. Questioning the moral integrity of the BRS leadership, he asked, 'How can someone who filed a case against K. Chandrasekhar Rao be welcomed into the same party? Is that not a ploy to bury the case?' Mr. Goud challenged the BRS working president to write to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, demanding a thorough investigation into the allegations. 'Let the State government decide whether it should be a CID probe or a judicial inquiry. If KTR truly believes he is honest, he should come forward and welcome the investigation,' he asserted. Only a full and independent probe would reveal the truth about the Palamuru-Rangareddy scheme and expose the alleged corruption, he claimed, adding that the BRS leadership cannot escape scrutiny by twisting court verdicts. 'We will not rest until the truth is brought before the people,' he affirmed.
