BRS turncoat MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy slams Congress government

Banswada MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy protested at Siddapur reservoir, accusing the Congress government of delaying funds and ignoring his requests. He warned of project damage as contractors withdrew, while the TPCC chief cited financial constraints.

Nizamabad: Another turncoat MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has expressed strong displeasure over the State government’s failure to release funds for the Siddapur reservoir project and the manner in which he was being treated by Ministers.

The Banswada MLA, who got elected on a BRS ticket and later switched loyalties to the Congress, has of late been exposed to classic indifference from officials and the Congress leadership, and now realisation seems to have dawned on him that he was being sidelined.

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The senior-most MLA in the State staged a protest at the reservoir site on Sunday night and criticised the government, particularly Ministers, for not responding to his repeated appeals.

A video of his telephonic conversation with a senior Irrigation Department official has gone viral on social media, in which he is seen expressing frustration.

“Is the government functioning or not, I fail to understand. I am a senior MLA and have raised this issue with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy nearly 20 times,” Srinivas Reddy said. Despite the irrigation official urging him to withdraw the protest, he remained firm.

“When I served as a Minister, officials would respond to my calls even at midnight. Government orders used to be issued in minutes. But in this Congress government, even MLAs’ calls are not being answered,” he complained.

Later, addressing his supporters, the MLA objected to the attitude of certain Ministers. “At this age, should I have to plead for funds and project approvals?” he asked.

He warned that continued neglect could lead to the project falling into disrepair, with wild vegetation taking over and no initiative to revive it in the future.

Referring to delays in bill clearances, he said contractors were abandoning works midway, while others were reluctant to take up new projects.

The Siddapur reservoir was initiated during the previous BRS regime, with a significant portion of work already completed. However, progress slowed after the Congress came to power, reportedly due to multiple factors, including shortage of funds.

Interestingly, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud acknowledged the financial constraints. “There are certain issues. Pocharam is a senior leader keen on development. I hope he understands the challenges being faced by the government,” Goud told reporters.