HYDERABAD: Cutting across political lines, leaders like TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, TDP TS unit working president A Revanth Reddy and BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy accused the state government of realigning all the under construction irrigation projects “only for the sake of kickbacks.”
“The case of redesigning of Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) is a classic example. The government has enhanced the project estimates by `50,000 crore and this is done only for the sake of commissions. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is further imposing huge debt burden on the state with his unjust acts,” the leaders alleged, while taking part in a round table meeting, organised by former minister and Congress leader DK Aruna here, on the issue of PRLIS.
“Almost 90 per cent works of all the irrigation projects, which are still in the construction stage, were completed by 2014 itself. Had the government spent just Rs 25,000 crore, all the projects would have been providing water to one crore acres of land.
But, the government is redesigning all the projects to impose huge financial burden on the state,” they said. All the leaders demanded that the state government complete the irrigation projects as per the ‘old designs’. They also sought a white paper on the cost escalation of each irrigation project in the state for the past two years.
At first, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, while taking part in the meeting, asked the state government to stick to the original design of PRLIS as proposed by the irrigation department.
The TPCC president alleged that the state government had adopted most irrational and unscientific methods while redesigning the irrigation projects. “It appears that in Telangana, the contractors are dictating terms while the irrigation department is acting like a spectator,” he said.
Former minister D K Aruna, who organised the meeting, alleged, “The government is looting the state with redesigning of projects.
When we question the government about this, it tries to portray us as obstacles for irrigation projects.”
“Is it not correct that the Chief Minister is looting the state joining hands with Andhra contractors?” she questioned and asked the state government to release white paper on projects.
Later, TDP leader A Revanth Reddy alleged that KCR was not treating Telangana as a state but as his fiefdom. “TRS is redesigning all the under construction projects only for the sake of notes. In the past two-and-a-half years, the government has invited tenders for works worth `2 lakh crore,” he accused.
