a day ago
Harish raps Uttam for misleading people on key irrigation projects
Hyderabad: Over the alleged failure to protect Telangana's water interests and favouring Andhra Pradesh, BRS senior leader T Harish Rao on Friday said that while Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was the brand ambassador of lies, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy surpassed even the CM.
Harish Rao accused them of failing to protect Telangana's water interests while favouring Andhra Pradesh while addressing a press conference at Dubbaka here on Friday. Harish Rao criticised Uttam Kumar Reddy for misleading the people on key irrigation projects. He alleged that the Congress government halted the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation works initiated by the previous BRS government, only to restart them later for political gains.
Harish Rao mocked Uttam Kumar Reddy for meeting Andhra Pradesh's former CM Chandrababu Naidu and then remaining passive while Telangana's water rights were being compromised. He accused the Congress government of using the lowest-ever Krishna River water allocations in state history, depriving farmers in Khammam, Nalgonda, and Mahbubnagar of irrigation.
Rao said that under temporary allocations, Telangana received 65 tmcft less water, leaving 6.5 lakh acres parched. Harish Rao demanded answers from Uttam Kumar Reddy, asking why he remained silent while Andhra Pradesh allegedly diverted 400 tmcft of Godavari water illegally. He slammed Uttam Kumar Reddy for failing to prepare for the Babli project despite being the Irrigation Minister. He questioned why the government had not approached the Supreme Court or pressured the Centre to stop Andhra's unauthorised projects.
Rao criticised BJP leaders for not speaking up against Andhra Pradesh's alleged water theft. He warned that if the state government did not act, BRS would approach the Supreme Court. Harish Rao accused the Congress government of deceiving employees by forming multiple committees instead of fulfilling promises on Dearness Allowance (DA) and Pay Revision Commission (PRC) benefits. He demanded immediate release of pending DAs and better PRC benefits than those given under the previous BRS government. He dismissed CM Revanth Reddy's claims that Kaleshwaram was collapsing, arguing that projects like Gandhamalla, Mallannasagar, and Ranganayak Sagar depend on it. He challenged the CM to explain how water would reach Gandhamalla if Kaleshwaram was truly defunct.
