Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam’s poser: Why has BJP-led Centre failed to take action on KLIS?
HYDERABAD: Announcing that a judicial probe into the alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) will be launched later this week, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said that it was the BJP-led Union government that provided funds for the project through the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
Reacting to the comments made by BJP state president and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, Uttam also wondered why the Centre failed to take action when the Medigadda barrage piers were damaged back in October. “Medigadda barrage was damaged in October but the Congress formed the government in December.” He further said: “The BJP government at the Centre used the Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies against governments in West Bengal and other states. Why was it mum on KLIS?”
‘Slinging mud at Cong govt’
Alleging that the BJP and BRS acted like friends in the last 10 years, he wanted to know why Kishan had not visited the Medigadda barrage so far. Uttam alleged that Kishan Reddy was trying to sling mud at the Congress government while forgetting that the approvals and funds for KLIS were given by the BJP government. He wondered why the Reserve Bank of India and other central agencies remained silent when the BRS government borrowed significant loans for irrigation projects and demanded that Kishan Reddy provide a clarification on this matter.
He criticised the BJP leaders for their silence when the project cost escalated from Rs 80,000 crore, as approved by the Central Working Commission, to a whopping Rs 1.27 lakh crore.“The redesigning and re-engineering of the Kaleshwaram project went unquestioned, with no due diligence by the BJP government at the Centre,” the Irrigation Minister added.
He said that the State government would not spare anyone responsible for the damage to the piers of Medigadda. He said that the agencies responsible for the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundella barrages should undertake the necessary repairs. Uttam said that after his recent visit to Medigadda along with other Ministers, he submitted a report to the chief minister. The CM will take further action, he added.