HYDERABAD: The opposition parties which are against the state government’s proposal to redesign irrigation projects have joined hands to make the government refrain from altering the design of Pranahita-Chevella project as it would hit Rangareddy district the most.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao made a proposal to alter the design of the project and as per the new design, water will not come till Rangareddy district. An all-party meeting conveyed on Friday under the leadership of former minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy resolved to fight against the government’s decision.
Accordingly, a committee headed by Rajendarnagar MLA T Prakash Goud (TDP) has been formed with several others as its members. The all-party delegation would visit Shankarpally in Rangareddy district to inspect the ongoing works on August 17.
It was also decided to stall the proceedings of the upcoming Assembly session and and also a stage a demo at Indra Park, if the government does not budge. Speaking at the round table, Sabitha Indra Reddy alleged that the government was adopting a ‘discriminatory’ attitude towards Rangareddy district by excluding it from the scope of the project.
“This would only escalate the problems of the farmers in district. Despite doing well on the economic front, the district is also infamous for farmers’ suicides. There have been several hopes on Pranahitha-Chevella project, but the chief minister is dashing all of them,” she lamented. Agreeing with her views, BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao said making Pranahitha-Chevella out of bounds would amount to cutting off a ‘lifeline’ to the farmers in the district.
Meanwhile, TDP MLA Prakash Goud alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by KCR to ‘punish’ Rangareddy and Hyderabad voters for not giving a bigger mandate for the TRS party in the general polls.
“KCR is now aimed at settling scores with the electorate of these districts. In general polls, the TRS had won only four seats out of 29 in the two districts. This would be resisted by all means,” he alleged. TRS government was creating inter-district tensions, the YSRC said.
CPI, CPM, Loksatta and several NGOs also participated in the discussion. Though the TRS leaders of the district were invited, no one attended the meet.