K Chandrasekhar Rao goes extra mile for Kaleshwaram project

Hyderabad: The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s dream and the TRS supremo is ready to go out of his ways, if required, to ensure that the project is completed on time and the people of the state benefit from it soon as possible.

Over the past one month, the Chief Minister had three lengthy weekend meetings with a top judicial officer and gave detailed presentations about how the Kaleshwaram project, particularly the Komaravelli Mallanna-sagar reservoir, which is being built as part of the mammoth project, would benefit lakh of people across the state and how it would change their lives for good.

Highly placed sources told this newspaper that the Chief Minister, accompanied by his close aides who are well versed with the subject of irrigation, drove down to the Kundanbagh residence of a top judicial officer and held three meetings, each lasting more than an hour — one of them even lasting for close to two hours.

Mr Rao reportedly gave a Power Point presentation and used a map to explain every minute aspect of the project and its benefits to lakh of people across different districts.

“The Chief Minister is an irrigation expert and explained all key aspects of the project, like the districts which will be benefited, the cost and how it will improve the livelihoods of lakh of people,” sources said.

While the first meeting between the Chief Minister and the judicial officer was held on April 14, the second was on April 27 and the third was on May 4.  While the CMO had sought prior appointments for the first two meetings, the third was a sudden development and the appointment was taken at the last minute.

It is learnt that the issue of Rehabilitation and Relief to the affected persons and oustees of the Komaravelli Malla-nnasagar reservoir also was explained by the Chief Minister and what more the State government intends to do in this regard.

“Soon after the elections were over, the Chief Minister made Kaleshw-aram project as his top priority and it will continue this way,” sources said, adding that even he would visit the project site shortly to take stock of the progress while the officials concerned are reviewing the progress on a daily basis.

The project is aimed at lifting Godavari water to record heights and is expected to start functioning from July this year.

Mr Rao on Thursday reviewed the project and directed the officials to be prepared to supply additional power from July this year.

He said the power needed for lift irrigation schemes would be paid by the government by way of special grant.

On Thursday, a division bench of the High Court comprising acting Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akhter made it clear that it would not give directions to stop the construction works of Komaravelli Mallannasagar reservoir and stall the Kaleshwaram project. The bench was dealing with cases related to land compensation to those who had lost their lands and contempt cases filed by the villagers of Etigadda Kistapur village, Thoguta mandal in Siddipet, who alleged non implementation of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Package to the affected persons and oustees of the Mallannasagar reservoir.

The bench suggested that the petitioners take the compensation and move on, paving the way for the project which will benefit a large number of people of the state.