Heads Roll Over Medigadda Fiasco
Hyderabad: The state government shocked the irrigation department with a series of actions following the sinking of the Medigadda barrage. Engineer-in-chief C. Muralidhar was instructed to resign from his position, while Kaleshwaram project in-charge ENC C. Venkateswara Rao was terminated from service.
The move, spearheaded by irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, is part of a broader effort to reform the irrigation department, which has faced scrutiny over the collapse of the Medigadda barrage. This incident has rendered the entire Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme, touted as a flagship achievement of the previous BRS government under former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, virtually ineffective. The colossal failure has incurred a staggering cost of Rs 1.20 lakh crore to the people of Telangana state.
The minister’s actions have sent shockwaves throughout the department, with speculation rife that more heads may roll in the near future. The government's decision comes on the heels of a report from the Vigilance & Enforcement Wing, which probed the Medigadda disaster.
Further, the government has announced its intention to present a white paper on irrigation projects and engage in discussions during the Budget Session of the Assembly, slated to commence on Wednesday.