HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP), which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on August 15, would be completed by 2026.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, the minister refuted the allegations of former minister T Harish Rao that the project was completed by the BRS government and the Congress was trying to get credit for the same.
He said that the BRS spent huge amounts on the project but it failed to complete the project.
Alleging that the BRS ruined the irrigation system in the state, he said: “The BRS regime spent Rs 1.81 lakh crore on the sector but failed to provide water to new ayacut. Not even single ayacut got water under BRS rule.”
“The Congress conceptualised Rajiv Sagar and Indira Sagar projects with an estimated cost of Rs 3,500 crore. The Congress government even spent Rs 2,000 crore for the same. Instead of spending Rs 1,500 crore and completing the project, the BRS government started Sita Rama project in the name of re-engineering and escalated the project cost to Rs 18,000 crore,” he alleged.
“Despite this, the BRS government was able to complete only 39 per cent works,” Uttam added.
Refuting the claims of Harish Rao, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy wondered how the BRS was able to complete 90 per cent works when it spent only Rs 7,230 crore on Sita Rama project against the total cost of Rs 18,231 crore.