Repairs to Kaleshwaram project after NDSA report, action against culprits: Uttam Kumar Reddy

HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy anticipates the Telangana Government to receive the report being prepared by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) on damages to Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages within a month. Based on this report, the Congress Government plans to undertake repairs and ensure water supply to farmers.

Uttam Kumar Reddy had an informal interaction with the media at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat on Friday, where he shared insights about the Kaleshwaram project which he dubbed as the biggest scam in India. He said that the Congress Government would take criminal action against those responsible for the damages caused to Medigadda and other barrages based on the report submitted by the vigilance department. However, he disclosed that the vigilance report had been received and that criminal action would be taken as per law.

The Minister clarified that the L&T company constructed the Medigadda barrage, and there was no record indicating execution through a sub-contract. Consequently, he mentioned that pending bills totalling Rs 400 crore for L&T, the builder of Medigadda, have been halted.

Uttam Kumar Reddy welcomed the formation of a committee to investigate the Medigadda damage. He announced his plans to visit Delhi on Saturday to meet with experts and officials to discuss the Medigadda situation.

Uttam also dismissed allegations made by Sriram Vedire, advisor to Union Jal Shakti Minister and chairman of the Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers, claiming that the present Government did not provide information and documents on Kaleshwaram.

"This is untrue, as those reports did not exist. For example, we didn't provide the geographical profile as it didn't exist during the previous Government's tenure. There were no quality control reports until the Congress came to power. We provided the information based on our actions after assuming power," he clarified.

Uttam stated that third-party reports were not given because they did not exist, and he highlighted problems in the completion reports, which led to a vigilance inquiry.

He reminded that it was the Congress Government that invited the NDSA team for the inquiry and pledged full cooperation with the NDSA investigation. He criticised the BRS Government for mistakes in the design, planning, and construction of Kaleshwaram, accusing them of compromising the project for commissions at the expense of farmers' futures.

The Minister held former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his son KTR responsible for damages due to loans in the irrigation sector. He claimed that the BJP Government at the Centre was a partner in the wrongdoings of BRS in Telangana. "Thousands of crores of loans have come to the Kaleshwaram project with the guarantee of the Centre. If there was no understanding between the BRS and BJP, how were Rs 1 lakh crore loans secured?" he asked.

Speaking about the issue of handing projects to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB), Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted that the Telangana Government would retain control of Nagarjunasagar and requested the withdrawal of CRPF forces from the site.

Regarding the Tummadihatti Project, he emphasised that the Congress party's promise to build it was in its election manifesto and unrelated to the National Dam Safety Authority's report. Uttam Kumar Reddy accused BRS of falsely propagating that the Central Water Commission stated there was no water at Tummadihatti, clarifying that the CWC report indicated a 160 TMC capacity at Tummadihatti.

He revealed that the Dr BR Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Project was initiated during the YSR regime, and works were undertaken to achieve a new ayacut of 30,000 acres. He accused KCR of redesigning the project to prevent Congress from taking credit if completed, stating that out of the Rs 11,000 crore mentioned by Vedire Sriram for Pranahita, the Congress Government spent only Rs 6,000 crore.