BRS Working President KT Rama Rao has demanded a judicial commission, led by a sitting High Court judge, to investigate the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel accident. He accused the Congress government of negligence and blamed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for prioritizing election campaigns over relief efforts.
KTR criticized the state government for allowing tunnel construction without necessary approvals from Geological Survey of India (GSI) experts. He called this a “shocking display of incompetence and inexperience.” He also questioned why the Chief Minister was absent from rescue operations while eight workers remained trapped. “Is there no time for the CM to ensure the rescue of these workers while he flies around in helicopters for campaigns?” KTR asked.
He pointed out a pattern of mishaps under the Congress government, recalling three major accidents in the past 14 months. These included the complete washout of the Peddavagu project in Khammam and the collapse of the Sunkishala project’s retaining wall, which was meant to supply drinking water to Hyderabad. He claimed these incidents caused losses worth hundreds of crores.
Speaking about the SLBC tunnel collapse, where workers have been trapped for over 72 hours, KTR expressed concern over the slow rescue efforts. He accused the government of recklessness, stating that restarting the tunnel project without technical studies or GSI approval put lives and public money at risk. “If you didn’t do any technical study before restarting the project and carelessly put lives and public funds at risk, you have no one to blame but yourselves,” he said.
KTR called on the Congress government to reveal the truth behind the SLBC accident and the Sunkishala wall collapse. He urged authorities to seek help from central government agencies and the Army to speed up rescue operations. “The lives lost and families affected deserve truth and accountability. The Congress government must ensure transparency and justice, which is grossly missing so far,” he asserted.
