Centre proposed it but state hasn’t agreed to hand them over: Telangana Irrigation Minister
HYDERABAD : Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday said that the state government has not agreed to hand over common irrigation projects of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
Any decision in this regard would be taken only after having a discussion in the State Legislative Assembly, he added.
Speaking to reporters here, Uttam said that there was no truth in the statement issued by former irrigation minister T Harish Rao claiming that the government has agreed to hand over the projects to KRMB.
“The Centre proposed to take over the irrigation projects on Krishna river. But the state government did not give any reply to it,” Uttam said.
He alleged that the BRS leaders have no right to talk about Krishna river projects as the water share in Krishna river was reduced during the their rule.
The irrigation minister, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, held a meeting on Khammam irrigation projects at the Secretariat.
‘SRLIP biggest scam’
Uttam, meanwhile, said that the construction of Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Project (SRLIP) was the biggest scam in the country.
“Never seen such a big scam in independent India. A team of ministers would visit this project soon. The Cabinet would decide the next course of action on the project,” he said. “The BRS government spent Rs 18,500 crore on Sitarama project. Had the BRS government spent Rs 1,400 crore, as per the original plan, it would have provided irrigation to three lakh acres,” he said.
“Because of the BRS rule, the interest payments on the loans raised for irrigation projects would be Rs 18,000 crore per year and the unpaid bill accumulated to Rs 9,000 crore,” he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, meanwhile, said that the estimated cost of the Dummugudem Rajiv Sagar Project was Rs 1,681 crore but the BRS government redesigned and renamed it as Sitarama project and spent Rs 18,000 crore.
“Instead of spending Rs 1,500 crore, the BRS government spent Rs 22,000 crore. But it did not provide irrigation not even to one acre,” he said.
Revanth to request Karnataka to release 10 tmcft of water
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday said that a delegation, led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, would soon go to Bengaluru to request the Karnataka government to release 10 tmcft water from Krishna river for the drinking water needs of the state. He also alleged that the BRS government did not submit the proposals seeking national project status for irrigation projects in a proper format.