CM invites KCR for debate on Kaleshwaram lapses in Assembly or joint sitting of Legislature

Continuing his tirade against BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has invited him to come for an elaborate debate in the Assembly on the Kaleshwaram project lapses.

He assured Mr. Rao that there will not be any attempt to belittle him nor will anyone be allowed to speak ill of him. “Let him come for the debate in the Assembly or a joint sitting of the Legislature. Let him address a letter to the Assembly Speaker suggesting a date for the special session. We will immediately address a communication giving our consent for the debate,” he said.

The Chief Minister launched a scathing attack on the previous government for the failure of the Kaleshwaram project as the project suffered damages within three years after spending ₹1.02 lakh crore. He described Mr. Rao, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and senior leader T. Harish Rao as “financial terrorists” who drained the State exchequer in the name of Kaleshwaram project and destroyed the base of the State economy.

He pooh-poohed the claims of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao asking the government to handover management of Kaleshwaram project to Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao wondering what the BRS president would do when experts were examining all aspects of the project to revive it.

“I am prepared to handover the project not just for a week, but for three full years. Let him take over and ensure the project’s functioning. Is he more experienced than the experts we have roped in for studying the lapses so that restoration works can be taken up?” Mr. Revanth Reddy wondered. He said the Government would not stand on prestige in taking up works suggested by Mr. Rao if they were constructive. “But we are concerned about the magnitude of damages that can happen if the suggestions work adversely,” he said.

He ridiculed the claims of Mr. KTR and Mr. Harish Rao that water could be lifted from Medigadda for irrigating major portion of the State claiming that how could that happen when there was no rain due to El Nino phenomenon. “The projects were constructed depending on the flood water discharge from Godavari. How can they assure water when there is no flow from upstream?” he asked.

The Chief Minister faulted the BRS leaders for conceiving Kaleshwaram setting aside Pranahita Chevella project which was designed with ₹38,000 crore cost. The negligence of the previous government in design, execution, quality control, operation & maintenance and other aspects of the project had ensured that the project could not be put to use. There was no scope for storage of water in these barrages as experts including those from the National Dam Safety Authority warned that they would crumble if water was stored.

“People have sent them to opposition in the first instalment (assembly elections) and gave a compete zero in the second (Lok Sabha polls). “One has to wait and see what will be the third instalment?” he said.

Family blamed

In a trenchant attack on Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao’s family, he said the family never worked for the interests of Telangana as could be seen from the manner in which agitators like Prof. M. Kodandaram were set aside. “Why were they set aside? Are they not competent? It is obvious that his (Mr. KCR’s) goal was different from that of those who genuinely fought for separate Telangana,” Mr. Revanth Reddy alleged. As a result, the State accumulated ₹8.21 lakh crore debt in close to 10 years, Mr. Rao’s family earned over ₹1 lakh crore.

The Congress government on its part ordered a judicial probe into the Kaleshwaram lapses and sought CBI inquiry to bring those responsible to book. “Almost a year has gone, there is no response to the government’s request for CBI probe,” he lamented.

Medigadda rehabilitation work

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy who made a detailed power point presentation on the status of the Medigadda barrage and rest of the key components of the Kaleshwaram project said the Congress Government had already taken up work on the Medigadda rehabilitation design and would move ahead with the Tummidihetti project, which he said was technically superior, economically viable and energy-efficient alternative to Kaleshwaram project

He defended the state government’s decision to resume operations at the KLIS barrages only after the total rehabilitation of the barrages.

He defended the State government’s decision to resume operations at the KLIS barrages.