MEDIGADDA: After inspecting the damage to the Medigadda barrage, a key component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday declared that KLIS didn’t create ayacut of even one lakh acres despite close to Rs 1 lakh crore being spent on it.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Congress, AIMIM and CPI MLAs and MLCs, and officials. The inspection was followed by a detailed presentation by Irrigation, Vigilance and Enforcement authorities.
Speaking after the presentation, Revanth stated that the BRS turned KLIS into a tourist hotspot, arranged tours for select visitors with special transport, and also publicised it in Times Square, New York, but now has no face to see the damaged Medigadda barrage.
Given the current situation of the project, Irrigation authorities are not storing the water in Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages, the chief minister said, noting that storing water in these barrages would lead to a major catastrophe.
The wide-open cracks, rusted steel, caved-in reservoir bed and water seeping from the piers were glaringly obvious to the delegation of leaders and journalists who left Hyderabad for Medigadda after the Assembly session. The visitors were visibly shocked at seeing the massive cracks and the lack of maintenance of the project.
Later in the day, Revanth ripped into former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over his statements made during the BRS public meeting at Nalgonda. Responding to KCR’s allegations of the Congress government adopting a “useless” resolution in the Assembly, he sought to know why the BRS chief did not attend the Assembly despite his repeated requests.
Revanth suspected a “dark deal” behind the BRS and BJP not being part of the KLIS inspection tour.
The presentation by in-charge chief engineer, and Vigilance and Enforcement director-general Rajiv Ratan, said that so far, Rs 93,872 crore was spent on the project and an ayacut of 98,570 acres created. The Chief Minister, ministers, and other legislators paid careful attention to the presentation, following which Revanth pointed out the significant lapses in the project.
He said that the total proposed ayacut under Kaleshwaram was 19.63 lakh acres, against the claims of KCR that one crore acres were getting irrigation water. He pointed out that the state government has to sustain a financial burden of over Rs 10,000 crore in power bills and another Rs 10,000 crore as interest on the loans obtained for the project.
Revanth accused KCR of trivialising the damage to Medigadda and making no effort to repair it, but going to a hospital when he suffered a fracture in his hip.
KCR tried to cover up his corruption: Revanth
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also criticised KCR for not coming to the Assembly during the discussion on Krishna waters while going to Nalgonda for a political meeting.
“It’s not a fight for water, but the political chair as the Lok Sabha elections are around the corner. If you are not involved in Kaleshwaram corruption, why did you not come for the inspection? KCR is trying to intimidate and blackmail for his political survival,” Revanth said.
He said that the Nalgonda meeting was to divert public attention from the corruption in KLIS.
Revanth said that when the Medigadda barrage sank, KCR fortified the barrage to cover up his corruption. He said that the construction of the Medigadda project was proposed with `1,900 crores and escalated to Rs 4,000 crore. He also noted that the project cost was escalated even after the piers caved in. “Kaleshwaram has fallen victim to the corruption of KCR,” he fumed.
Cabinet will order a criminal probe: Uttam
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Cabinet will discuss and order a criminal investigation into corruption in Kaleshwaram.
“It’s the biggest scam in Independent India. The basic principles of water, finance and irrigation were not followed. Even as Medigadda caved in on October 21, 2023, KCR remained mum,” Uttam said.
He said that the government will take further action by collaborating with the National Dam Safety Authority to decide the future of the project.
The Irrigation minister noted that Kaleshwaram in its entirety was non-operational, and despite at least Rs 10,000 crore being spent every year, the government is unable to utilise not even a single drop of water from the project.
cost escalated
The CM said that when the Medigadda barrage sank, KCR fortified the barrage to cover up his corruption. He also noted that the project cost was escalated even after the piers caved in.