HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that the state government constitute a judicial commission, headed by a sitting high court judge, to investigate the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel accident.
Alleging gross negligence by the Congress government, Rama Rao said that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy should be responsible for prioritising election campaigns over relief efforts.
He alleged that the state government allowed the tunnel works to be carried out without obtaining necessary approvals from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and described it as a “shocking display of incompetence and inexperience.”
Questioning the CM for not visiting the accident site, he wondered: “Doesn’t the CM, who flies around in helicopters for election campaigns, have time to visit the tunnel and ensure the rescue of these workers?”
The BRS leader alleged that three major accidents took place in the state in the last 14 months. He cited the complete washout of the Peddavagu project in Khammam and the collapse of the Sunkishala project’s retaining wall.
Expresses concern over slow pace of rescue ops
Rama Rao expressed deep concern over the slow pace of rescue operations in SLBC tunnel. He accused the government of recklessness, stating that restarting the tunnel project without technical studies or GSI approval directly endangered lives and public money. “If you didn’t do any technical study before restarting the project and carelessly put lives and public funds at risk, you have no one to blame but yourselves,” he said.
Lashing out at ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Rama Rao remarked that while one was “shamelessly singing praises of their work,” the other remained “clueless” despite the crisis. “After four days of work at SLBC, all they have to show is eight missing workers, debris, slush, and a Rs 300 crore damage to machinery. It is appalling that they feel proud of such a failure,” he added.
Demanding a comprehensive judicial inquiry into the mishap, he urged the Congress government to reveal the truth behind the SLBC accident and the Sunkishala wall collapse.
He called for swift action involving central agencies and the Army to expedite rescue efforts. “The lives lost and families affected deserve to know the truth and accountability. The Congress government must ensure transparency and justice, which is grossly missing so far,” he asserted.