Congress stalling TRS' development works, says T Harish Rao

Hyderabad: Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Sunday presented evidence to prove what he said was a plan of the Congress to stall the development of the state, particularly irrigation projects. He said this could be seen from the number of cases that Congress leaders had filed in many courts and tribunals. He was speaking to mediapersons after releasing water, along with energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, from the Nagarjunasagar dam to the Left Canal command area to raise crops for the Rabi season. He said 40 tmc ft of water will be released from the dam up to April in the on-off mode — as and when it is actually needed for the crops. Incidentally, Sunday marked the 62nd anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Nagarjunasagar dam by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955.

“While the TRS aim and ambition is development, Congress leaders are aiming at stalling development. For this they are joining hands even with the CPM which opposed statehood,” he said. TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy’s call on Sunday for a realignment of political forces against the TRS means that all those working against Telangana state and its people want to come together to fight against TRS, Mr Harish Rao alleged.

He said while Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was particular about providing water for drinking and irrigation to every household and every acre of land, besides 24 hour supply of power, Congress leaders had started filing cases and were holding agitations against these projects. Giving details of the modernisation of Nagarjunasagar canal works, Mr Harish Rao said, the Congress governments had done only 35 per cent of works whereas the TRS during the last three and a half years had spent Rs 1,265 crore and completed the work.