HYDERABAD: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday lashed out at former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for “misleading” the people of Telangana on irrigation projects, river water sharing and financial management during his 10-year tenure.
Strongly denying almost all the claims made by the BRS president, the minister advised the former to “come prepared”.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, Uttam said that irrigation projects in the Palamuru-Rangareddy region — Kalwakurthy, Bheema, Nettempadu, SLBC, Dindi and others — remained incomplete despite massive borrowings. He demanded an explanation from the former chief minister as to why these projects were neglected and abandoned during the BRS regime. He also demanded that KCR apologise to the people of Telangana over this issue.
“Foundation stones were laid everywhere, but not a single acre received irrigation. This is KCR’s irrigation story,” Uttam said. “Nearly Rs 1.8 lakh crore was spent but not even a single acre was irrigated. The BRS regime also failed to release Rs 4,500 crore to complete the projects on the Krishna basin,” he added.
‘DPR rejected back in 2023’
Responding to allegations that the Centre rejected the DPR for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project, he clarified that the DPR was sent back on April 12, 2023. “Who was the chief minister back then? Who was the irrigation minister? It was KCR,” he said.
Uttam said that the reply sent by the Congress government was in accordance with the GOs issued by the previous BRS government.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the minister said projects in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district, Nagarjunasagar, Devarakonda, Miryalaguda and Huzurnagar would be completed.
“Congress does not deceive people. We will complete Kalwakurthy, Bheema and Nettempadu projects,” he said, asserting that under the Congress, Telangana has recorded its highest-ever paddy production by safeguarding its water share.
‘Financial mismanagement’
The minister also targeted the former chief minister over what he termed financial mismanagement during the BRS regime, alleging the irrigation department alone undertook loans to the tune of around Rs 96,000 crore at 11% interest, “mortgaging even the future generations”. He said the Congress government has already repaid Rs 49,000 crore.
Reacting to the allegation that the works in Palamuru-Rangareddy project were not completed, he said that the Congress government has undertaken works by spending Rs 7,000 crore on pending works, including distributary canals, and repaid Rs 4,000 crore dues.