HYDERABAD: Recalling that the BRS government approached the Maharashtra government within 42 days of coming to power regarding the Tummidhatti barrage, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Monday alleged it took 1,054 days for the present Congress dispensation to hold its first meeting with the neighbouring state.
Speaking to reporters here, Harish Rao alleged that diversionary politics has become a habit for the Congress.
“The BRS formed the government in 2014. We went to Maharashtra within 42 days and asked them to agree to the construction of a barrage at 152 metres at Tummidihatti. The BRS government held half a dozen meetings with Maharashtra within the first six months of coming to power. It took you 1,054 days just to start talks. That’s your sincerity,” Harish Rao told Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The BRS leader alleged that the previous Congress government in the united Andhra Pradesh delayed the project and raised bills under the guise of mobilisation advances. “They shifted the source to Medigadda because the Central Water Commission informed them that no water was available at Tummidihatti,” he said.
“In its letter on February 18, 2015, the CWC made it clear to Telangana that 160 tmcft of water is not available. In fact, we have 240 tmcft of water at Medigadda,” he said, adding that the Kaleshwaram project was a boon to Telangana.
Harish Rao also dismissed the present government’s claims that it would bring water from Tummidihatti through gravity.
“Will you bring water by gravity from Tummidihatti to Yellampalli? Do you think people are fools? Place the DPR of the project in the public domain. If they prove that water can be diverted through gravity from Tummidihatti, I am ready to resign. If not, Uttam, will you resign?” Harish Rao asked.
Finding fault with the government for not pumping water from the rivers, Harish Rao demanded a white paper on how many motors were operated at Kalvakurthy and Devadula, and for how many hours.
The BRS has no objection if the state government constructs the Tummidhatti barrage, he said, while wondering why did the Congress government had abandoned the Kaleshwaram and why it failed to take up repairs to the project even after three years. He demanded immediate repairs to Medigadda barrage and also requested the government to operate Kannepally motors.
