Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday asserted that the BRS had lost its relevance in the state's political landscape and would gradually fade away after the the Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference following his participation in the annual Urs celebrations at the Jan Pahad Saidulu dargah in Palkaveedu mandal of Suryapet district, Uttam Kumar Reddy predicted that the Congress would secure 13 to 14 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana state, while the BRS would be limited to one or two. He said that the main contest in the LS polls in the state would be between the Congress and the BJP.
"The future of the BRS will be in doubt after the LS polls, and its existence itself under question. It is bound to diminish significantly from the political scene in the next few months."
Regarding the Jan Pahad Saidulu Dargah, Uttam Kumar Reddy spoke of his longstanding association and pledged Rs.1 crore funds to create facilities for pilgrims, including accommodation, drinking water, roads, and amenities. He urged officials to prepare proposals and estimates, with the works to be completed in the next two months.
He emphasised the significance of Jan Pahad Dargah, which people of all religions and faiths visit every year, and shared his prayers for good rains, better cultivation, and the overall prosperity of the people.
He said that AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had provided guidelines for the LS elections during his address to booth-level workers in Hyderabad on Thursday. By winning 13-14 seats, the Telangana state unit would play a significant role in forming a Congress-led government at the Centre, with Rahul Gandhi becoming Prime Minister.
Accusing the BRS regime of cheating the people, looting public wealth and pushing Telangana state into a massive debt crisis, Uttam Kumar Reddy dismissed its claim of development as mere hype and fake publicity.
He said that the Congress government during its reviews of departments had come across shocking findings. All departments, especially irrigation, civil supplies, energy, Mission Bhagiratha, were trapped in substantial debts.
Said the Congress government had initiated a probe into all the irregularities and would take serious action against those involved in the scams.
Highlighting specific instances of financial mismanagement during BRS regime, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that over Rs.94,000 crore were spent on the Kaleshwaram project to creating an ayacut of less than one lakh acres.
Similarly, Rs.25,000 crore spent on the Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme and Rs.7,000 crore on the Sitarama project resulted in no irrigation. He said that the Congress government had initiated investigations into irregularities in the construction of Bhadradri and Yadadri power projects.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Civil Supplies Corporation which plays a crucial role in supplying rice and commodities to the poor was financially mismanaged and pushed into huge debts and losses running to thousands of crores.
He claimed that the Mission Bhagiratha was a huge scam. He said despite spending over Rs.40,000 crore, the previous BRS regime could not provide tap connections or water to all households. He said huge loans were borrowed from Hudco, Nabard and other institutions on the pretext of laying pipelines, creating water resources and other works.
But in reality, nothing has been done on the ground. He said as the Lok Sabha MP, when he raised the question in Parliament regarding Mission Bhagiratha, he was shocked to learn about the debts and the situation on the ground. "People across Telangana state are facing the scarcity of water even before the onset of summer season. This is a proof of the failure of Mission Bhagiratha," he said.
Stating that he was not levelling any political allegations, Uttam Kumar Reddy said as a minister and a Congress leader it was his responsibility to bring the truth before the public. BRS government was an utter failure and it wasted public money without fearing for any consequences. He also accused the BRS leaders of creating an illusion of development by making false claims about providing a24-hour power supply to the farm sector.
