Uttam nails KCR’s lies on TG irrigation projects

Hyderabad: Allegingthat the former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has completely ruined Telangana, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the claim made by KCR that the Congress government reduced the Palamuru-Rangareddy project by 45 TMC is an absolute lie.

While countering KCR’s comments on irrigation projects, Minister Uttam said, “We sought 45 TMCs each from Krishna and Godavari rivers as per the GO issued during the BRS government’s regime. KCR, being CM and Irrigation Minister, destroyed the irrigation sector and made the state a debt ridden one.

KCR deceived Palamuru district by not completing Palamuru-Rangareddy project being in power for 10 years. KCR failed to give water to a single acre by spending Rs 25,000 crore on Palamuru-Rangareddy project. However, the Congress government spent Rs 7,000 crore in two years.

Now, KCR should tell, who deceived Palamuru district?. KCR did injustice to Palamuru and Nalgonda districts in regard to Krishna waters. KCR has been speaking lies in regard to the Palamuru-Rangareddy project and it is not proper to the CM who worked for 10 years”.

Speaking to the media at Secretariat on Sunday night, Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress government has been fighting more effectively in the Krishna Tribunal than the previous BRS government.

“We fought in the Krishna Tribunal seeking 512 TMCs of water. KCR has the guts to say that he did not give written assurance to the AP to use 500 TMCs of Krishna water? AP shifted 750 TMCs of water in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state, however, AP shifted 1,400 TMCs of water during BRS’s 10 years regime”, Uttam alleged.

Uttam questioned KCR, asking why he did not complete the Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Bheema, Dindi, and SCLBC projects during his 10-year rule. He asked whether it was not KCR who postponed the Apex Council meeting and whether he did not extend cooperation to inaugurate the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation project. Uttam also slammed KCR for not touching the Devadula project during his decade in power.

“We filed a petition in the Supreme Court appealing to the court to stop the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar project”, Uttam said.

Uttam alleged that KCR rendered injustice to the state by abolishing the Pranahita-Chevella project. He alleged that KCR spent Rs.1.80 lakh crore for the irrigation project but KCR failed to give water to at least one lakh acre new ayacut.

The Kaleshwaram project, which was constructed at a cost of Rs.80,000 crore by KCR, collapsed. KCR is the reason for the collapse of the Kaleshwaram project. He said that the NDSA, Supreme Court judge found fault with the way the Kaleshwaram project was constructed. KCR increased the estimations of the projects for the sake of commissions, Uttam slammed.

He said that KCR did not complete a single project despite borrowing lakhs of crores of rupees. “Prepare yourselves and then come and speak to the media; otherwise, you will end up speaking without knowing the facts, just like this,” Uttam remarked, demanding that KCR apologise to the people of the state for plunging Telangana into debt.