HYDERABAD: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday said the state government had dispelled the notion that ‘irrigation means KCR’ during a short discussion on Krishna river waters in the Assembly, adding that the Congress had gained both political and public traction by bringing clarity to the issue.
Speaking to reporters in the Assembly lobbies, Uttam said he had conducted a detailed inquiry into the Palamuru–Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) to examine how the project’s water source was shifted from Jurala to Srisailam. The inquiry, he claimed, had unearthed incriminating evidence against the previous BRS government.
He alleged that the change was effected solely to inflate project costs and secure kickbacks, asserting that there was no technical justification for the decision taken by the earlier regime.
Referring to proceedings in the Supreme Court, the minister said the apex court had made several suggestions on the Polavaram–Nallamalasagar project and advised the state to initiate a civil suit. He emphasised that there would be no compromise on Telangana’s rights and that the government had opted for a legal route to firmly establish them.