HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar have pointed out that Telangana has achieved a record paddy production in the Kharif season despite the fact that three barrages in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) were not operational.
Citing a report published in a vernacular newspaper, the chief minister posted on X: “BRS’s false propaganda that Kaleshwaram has increased paddy cultivation in Telangana has been debunked. Despite the fact that Medigadda caved in ruling out the possibility of storing water and water not stored in Annaram and Sundilla barrages as per NDSA instructions, for the first time after the formation of Telangana, regardless of Kaleshwaram, paddy was harvested at a record level. This is the greatness of Telangana farmers, and result of their sweat, hard work and hardship. Telangana farmers are pride of the country.”
Stating that a whopping 153 lakh metric tonnes of paddy was produced in Kharif despite the KLIP being non-operational, Uttam said, “I am happy to announce that Telangana has produced a record of 153 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in a record acreage of 66.77 lakh acres in the present Kharif crop. This is the highest paddy production in the history of Telangana or in combined Andhra Pradesh. This is also the highest ever paddy production in any state in a year in the country so far. This despite all three barrages of Kaleshwaram project being non-functional.”
He also congratulated agriculture and irrigation officials for the record paddy production.