Uttam slams BRS for spreading misinformation on projects being handed over to KRMB

HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has categorically stated that the Congress Government would never hand over the control of Telangana's projects to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

Addressing a press conference at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat on Monday, Uttam Kumar Reddy slammed former Minister Harish Rao and other BRS leaders for spreading misinformation that the present Congress Government had agreed to hand over the State's projects to KRMB. He clarified that the Congress Government took charge on December 7, 2023, and in the last 56 days, the proposal was never considered, and the Government would never hand over the control to the KRMB.

Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that the BRS Government had failed in the optimum utilisation of Krishna river water and agreed to give a higher share of the river water to Andhra Pradesh. He mentioned that the BRS Government should have insisted on a higher share in Krishna River for Telangana immediately after the formation of Telangana in 2014. He stated that in river basins, water sharing was decided based on catchment area, drought-prone area, population, and cultivable area. However, he expressed that injustice was meted out to Telangana on all parameters, with the KCR Government agreeing to give a larger share to Andhra Pradesh.

Reading out the minutes of the KRMB meeting, he pointed out that it was the BRS Government that had agreed to handover the projects to KRMB, and the same was reflected in the documents of the 2023-24 Budget presented by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) himself. Apart from handing over the projects, the KCR Government also allocated Rs 200 crore for maintenance, Uttam said.

He accused BRS leaders of spreading repeated lies just to defame the Congress Government. "As the Irrigation Minister, I categorically announce that we have not taken any decision in this regard. There has been no proposal, no effort, or no direction to hand over the projects to KRMB," he reiterated.

Uttam Kumar Reddy emphasised that it was the KCR Government that facilitated the Andhra Pradesh Government to float tenders for the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation schemes by postponing the Apex Council meeting. He pointed out that the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation project was started a few days after a secret agreement between KCR and Jagan. He criticised the KCR Government for failing to utilise about seven TMC of Krishna water that comes by gravity to Telangana and allowing Andhra Pradesh to take eight TMC per day from Srisailam. He highlighted that on May 5, 2020, the Andhra Pradesh Government issued Go No 203 to withdraw 8 TMC of water per day.

He accused the previous BRS regime of fully cooperating with the Andhra Pradesh Government in depriving Telangana of its due share in River Krishna water.

Uttam then criticised the KCR Government for wasting thousands of crores of public money in the name of irrigation projects. Citing instances, he mentioned that the Kaleshwaram project was constructed by spending about Rs 95,000 crore, and not even one lakh acres were irrigated. With the Medigadda and other two barrages suffering damages, the entire project has come to a standstill. Similarly, the cost of Palamuru Rangareddy was escalated, and despite spending Rs 27,500 crore, not a single acre was cultivated. He mentioned that all projects of undivided Mahabubnagar district like Kalwakurthy, Bhimasagar, Koyal Sagar were kept pending.

He also slammed Harish Rao for questioning his role in the Telangana Statehood movement. He stated that Telangana became a reality due to the all-party meeting convened by the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, and he had played a crucial role in it. He alleged that BRS leaders were "blackmailers" even during the Statehood movement.

Uttam accused KCR and his Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy of colluding to deprive Telangana of its share in River Krishna. He alleged that Jagan, at the instance of KCR, deliberately sent forces to Nagarjuna Sagar on the voting day to influence the electoral outcome.