Piecemeal approach towards Kanthanpalli project deplored

Warangal: Former MP and TRS leader Vinod Kumar demanded the State government to take a comprehensive approach towards the works of Kanthanapalli irrigation project. He accused the government led by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy of adopting a piecemeal approach towards the project proposed on the River Godavari at Kanthanapalli village in Eturunagaram mandal of the district.

The Chief Minister was only interested in getting kickbacks and not completing the projects, he alleged. “It is the major irrigation project in Telangana after Sri Ram Sagar Project (SRSP) but the Chief Minister has been acting indifferently in its execution, the TRS leader said addressing a press conference here on Saturday.

Referring to the recent tenders called for the proposed project on Godavari, he said the government has invited the biddings only for the barrage works. There has been no mention of canals, reservoirs and tunnels required to distribute the water.

“This is totally meaningless. One could not just build the barrage to store water and forget about distribution,” he said and demanded the government to immediately review the tender process of Kanthanapalli project and make provision for the distribution system.

“That should be done before the separate state of Telangana is formed,” he said. At the time of the bifurcation the assets and liabilities of both Seemandhra and Telangana would have to be shared then a lot of issues would crop up and eventually injustice would be done, he explained. Though the River Godavari covers a distance of 500 km in Telangana districts there was only one project and this tells about government’s negligence towards Telangana. The same should not happen in the case of Kanthanapalli project.

Vinod Kumar demanded the UPA government to expedite the process of creating Telangana. Any delay in this connection would lead to unwanted complications. The Seemandhra leaders spreading false apprehensions among the people, he added.

There was not much time left to complete the process as winter session in December first week would be last session for the present government. Dragging the issue further would only raise doubts over the commitment of Congress on the issue.

TRS MLAs M Biskhapathi and T Rajaiah leaders T Ravinder Rao and P Sudarshan Reddy and others were present.