BRS will Face Music for Faulty Kaleshwaram Design: Uttam
By : Narender Pulloor
Update: 2024-12-13 19:07 GMT
NIZAMABAD: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday accused former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues of gross violations in the Kaleshwaram project. He warned that they would face consequences for their actions.
Reddy highlighted the findings of the National Project Safety Authority (NPSA), which pointed to flaws in the design of the Kaleshwaram project. “This is a complicated issue, and action will be taken against the errant individuals,” he stated.
The minister visited the Nizamsagar project in Kamareddy district and the Sriramsagar project in Nizamabad district, flying by helicopter. He released water from the Nizamsagar project for the rabi season and conducted a review meeting with engineers at the flood flow canal pump house.
Congress and BRS MLAs, including P. Sudarshan Reddy, R. Bhupathi Reddy, Thota Laxmikanth Rao, V. Prashanth Reddy, and Sanjay Kumar, along with Kamareddy and Nizamabad district collectors Ashish Sangwan and Rajiv Gandhi Hanumanthu, were present during the visit.
Speaking to reporters, Reddy criticised the BRS government for what he described as the destruction of Telangana’s irrigation department. He claimed the inefficiency and inability of the BRS leadership not only damaged the Kaleshwaram project but also undermined the engineering structure of the state.
“Of the ₹22,000 crore allocated for the irrigation department, ₹12,000 crore was spent on repaying debts and interests created by the BRS government,” he alleged. He pledged to spend funds judiciously to create additional ayacut (irrigated area) in the state.
Reddy announced plans to desilt the Nizamsagar and Sriramsagar projects with assistance from the Central government. He noted that the 100-year-old Nizamsagar project, whose foundation stone was laid by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Sriramsagar project remain intact. In contrast, he claimed the BRS government’s Kaleshwaram project has suffered damage.
The minister revealed that the Revanth Reddy-led government is working on creating an additional 30 lakh acres of ayacut in the state. “We will restructure the irrigation department for better results,” he said, announcing the recruitment of 1,300 new assistant engineers.
Reddy assured that high-quality rice would be provided to ration card holders, and a ₹500 bonus would be continuously given to paddy farmers. He reiterated the government's commitment to improving the irrigation sector and supporting the farming community.