HYDERABAD: Former minister T Harish Rao on Saturday accused the Congress of running a misinformation campaign against the Kaleshwaram project. In a press release, he criticised Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for making “baseless claims” and pointed out contradictions in the Congress’ stance.
He noted that the Congress government continues to use Kaleshwaram reservoirs and pump houses, while labelling the project a ‘white elephant’. He questioned the logic of finding fault with a project they still rely on and defended the BRS government’s vision behind the project.
Describing Revanth Reddy and Uttam Kumar as the real ‘white elephants’ of Telangana, Harish Rao said that the two were undermining the state’s revenue and depriving Telangana of its legitimate share in river waters. Denying the allegations of the two that the shifting the project from Tummidihetti to Medigadda was driven by lures of commissions, he asserted that the Central Water Commission letters dated February 18, 2015, and March 4, 2015, had confirmed insufficient water availability at Tummidihetti.
He also cited the presence of the Chapral Wildlife Sanctuary at Tummidihetti and a letter from the Maharashtra chief minister stating that every rupee spent there would be wasteful as the reason for shifting the project.
He further alleged that the Congress government misappropriated Rs 2,328 crore under the guise of mobilisation advances for the Pranahita-Chevella project. Harish Rao stated that the Congress government order in 2007 estimated the cost of Pranahita-Chevella project at Rs 17,875 crore, which was inflated to Rs 38,500 crore within 19 months without any work being done. Later, the proposals sent to the central government raised the estimate to Rs 40,300 crore. He accused the Congress of siphoning off Rs 2,328 crore for surveys and mobilisation over a decade without tangible progress.