Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy has criticized BRS working president K Tarakarama Rao (KTR) for his comments on the Kaleshwaram project.
On Sunday, Reddy dismissed KTR’s suggestions to fill the project’s reservoirs, calling them dangerous and poorly informed. He warned that following these suggestions could cause serious damage to important barrages like Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla, and could lead to severe downstream flooding. This, he said, would endanger villages such as Bhadrachalam and compromise projects like Sammakka-Saralamma and Sitaram LIS.
Reddy also criticized the previous BRS government, led by K Chandrashekar Rao, for mismanaging and corruptly handling the Kaleshwaram project. He claimed that moving the project from Tummadi Hatti to Medigadda unnecessarily increased the cost from Rs 30,000 crores to Rs 85,000 crores without expanding the irrigated area. He blamed this mismanagement for the collapse of the Medigadda barrage soon after its completion.
The Minister accused KCR and KTR of placing a heavy financial burden on Telangana’s future. He pointed out that the state is already paying Rs 15,000 crore in interest and principal payments, which could rise to Rs 25,000 crore when the project is completed. Despite spending Rs 94,000 crore on the project, only 93,000 acres have been brought under cultivation, raising questions about the project’s effectiveness. He mentioned that another Rs 1.45 lakh crore would be needed to complete the project.
Reddy criticized KTR for blaming the collapse of the Medigadda barrage on the Congress government, which took office 47 days after the incident. He called KTR’s remarks immature and accused him of spreading misinformation to deflect responsibility from the BRS’s failures. Reddy emphasized that the Congress government is focused on addressing issues caused by the previous administration and is committed to following the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) recommendations for safety and sustainability.
Reddy reiterated that the Congress government prioritizes expert opinions and is committed to transparency and accountability. He assured that a thorough investigation into the Medigadda barrage collapse is underway and that those responsible will be held accountable. In response to KTR’s allegations of a Congress conspiracy in the damage to the Medigadda barrage, Reddy advised KTR to submit details to the Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Chandra Ghosh, which is investigating the Kaleshwaram project scam.
He condemned KTR’s remarks as reckless and stressed the importance of adhering to technical guidelines and expert recommendations to avoid disastrous consequences. Reddy assured that the Congress government would not compromise on safety and is committed to correcting the mistakes made by the previous administration.
