HYDERABAD: Accusing BRS working president KT Rama Rao of passing irresponsible comments on Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) operations, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said that the project developed leaks within a week of its completion.
During an informal chat with reporters in New Delhi, the minister said: “Former chief minister KCR was aware of this. Despite the leaks developing within one week of completion of the project, the previous government preferred to neglect it.”
Alleging that the BRS was doing politics over the project, he said that in the last three years, the present government paid Rs 16,000 crore towards interest for the loans taken by the previous regime for the construction of the Kaleshwaram project.
He also claimed that without utilising even a single drop of water from the Kaleshwaram project, Telangana stood first in paddy production in the country.
Alleging that no soil tests were conducted by the previous government before construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages, he said: “Foundations for the piers were laid in sand. Kaleshwaram project collapsed due to the incompetency of the BRS government.”
“The barrages are currently in a dangerous condition. If we open the gates and if anything happens, the government will be held responsible,” he added.
Uttam said that the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) has given a report stating that Annaram barrage has holes.
He alleged that KCR constructed the Kaleshwaram project in a hurry for the sake of commissions.
Meanwhile, the minister asked the Union government to explain why it is not ordering a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities in construction of the Kaleshwaram project even though it has been 10 months since the state government requested such a probe.
Recalling that the state government had sought a CBI probe based on a NDSA report, he said: “Though Union Minister G Kishan Reddy stated that a CBI investigation will be initiated within 24 hours if the state government requests, no such probe has been ordered so far.”