Congress, BJP have no knowledge of irrigation projects: Niranjan Reddy

HYDERABAD: Telangana Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy on Sunday slammed the opposition's stand on Kaleshwaram upliftment and Godavari floods. Addressing a media conference at his residence in the Banjara Hills Ministerial Complex here, he took a jibe at the Congress party and the BJP saying that they were only shedding crocodile tears on floods. The minister found fault with the Congress leaders who are leveling allegations on Kaleshwaram while praising the projects built by the Andhra leaders.

The Telangana minister said that the Congress and the BJP leaders were not able to digest the fact that KCR had redesigned and built the engineering marvel Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. Rejecting the opposition allegations on the project, he recalled the comments by Central water resources experts who called it an engineering marvel. Singireddy Niranjan Reddy claimed that the Kaleshwaram project was built at an HFL of 107.5 metres taking cognizance of the floods of 1986.

However, due to the recent floods, the water level reached 108.19 meters, he said adding that the Congress and the BJP leaders were talking without knowing the difference between upliftment schemes and projects and alleged that the grand old party (Congress), which had been vocal on irrigation issues, had proposed to build projects where there was no water and even delayed their construction for decades. But,Telangana Chief Minister K Chandra Shaker Rao redesigned the project and moved it from Tummidihetti to Medigadda and built the great Kaleswaram project, he claimed.

Niranjan Reddy said that the state government had taken up the Palamuru lift irrigation scheme as there was only 6 TMC water in Jurala reservoir. He found fault with the Telangana Congress for ridiculing Pentareddy on irrigation projects.

Taking a dig at the BJP leaders, the minister said that the Centre had given national status to the Upper Bhadra project but the BJP leaders of the state were scared of asking for the same for Telangana projects. Niranjan Reddy also fumed at Piyush Goyal, saying that the Union minister had criticized KCR without having basic knowledge about the Civil Supplies department. The Centre has no concrete policy on any matter, he remarked.