SANGAREDDY: Refuting senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy’s claims of corruption in awarding irrigation contracts, Minister T Harish Rao on Tuesday said that he was ready to debate Reddy on the topic. “I challenge him for a debate on irrigation projects. If he doesn’t want to participate, he should tender an apology for levelling false allegations,” Rao demanded.
Speaking to reporters at Telangana Bhavan, Rao said the Congress was such a corrupt party that everything looked corrupt to them. The minister also said Congress’ new ally AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was once a fierce critic of the party. “We provided water to 8 lakh acres in Mahbubnagar district alone. In the last four years, TRS government provided water to 25 lakh acres. In its entire ten-year rule, the Congress provided irrigation water to only five lakh acres,” Harish Rao said. “In the last four years, TRS saved Rs 550 crore with the transparent tendering system,” he added.
100 new members
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Rao inducted nearly 100 new members from Sangareddy Assembly constituency into Telangana Rashtra Samithi at a function held in Hyderabad. Prominent leaders such as former Pothireddypally Sarpanch Sumangali Chandrashekhar, former ward member Manohar and MPTC Anjani Dhanunjaya. Sangareddy incumbent MLA Chintha Prabhakar was also present at the function. Commenting on Congress’ Sangareddy candidate Jagga Reddy, the minister said, “Jagga is a traitor. He had once written to Sonia Gandhi (then party president) requesting her to not allow formation of Telangana.”
Addressing the gathering, Chintha Prabhakar said that funds amounting to Rs 2,200 crore had been spent in Sangareddy thanks to initiatives by K Chandrasekhar Rao and Harish Rao.