Demolition, destruction become routine in Congress regime: Harish Rao

BRS senior leader T Harish Rao has accused the Congress regime in Telangana of routinely demolishing check dams and tanks, allegedly under the influence of a sand mafia. Inspecting a damaged check dam on the Manair River, he criticised the government for failing to construct new dams in the past two years and for not acting against those responsible for demolitions in Peddapalli and Nirmal districts.

Karimnagar: BRS senior leader and former Minister T Harish Rao alleged that demolition and destruction have become a routine practice in the Congress regime.

Besides demolishing the houses of poor people in Hyderabad in the name of HYDRAA, check dams and tanks have been blasted in different places of the state by the Congress leaders.

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Harish Rao made these comments while interacting with media persons after inspecting the damaged check dam in Manair river near Gumpula of Odela mandal on Tuesday.

Though the state government has not built a single check dam or tank during the last two years, the sand mafia led by Congress leaders has indulged in the demolition of check dams in Hussaini vagu in Peddpalli district, Swarna vagu in Nirmal district and other places.

Though the farmers complained to the police, those involved in Hussaini vagu demolition were not arrested so far. If the accused individuals had been arrested at that time, the Manair vagu blast may not have occurred.

Though irrigation officials and farmers lodged complaints with the police, no action has been taken even after three days since the incident.

Commenting on the argument that the check dam was washed away due to water flow, he expressed doubt about how the check dam, which was not disturbed even after a lakh cusecs of water was released from Lower Manair Dam recently, could be damaged by a small flow.

Stating that the sand mafia was behind the blast at the check dam, Harish Rao said that sand smugglers have become more dangerous than terrorists, who would not disturb public utilities.

If the quality of the check dam was substandard, the government should take action against the contractor. Raghava constructions, owned by the Revenue Minister Pongulati Srinivas Reddy, constructed the check dam.

The same company is executing projects worth thousands of crores in the Future city, Kodangal and other places. If works are substandard, the government should blacklist the company and cancel all tenders. Stating that he would raise the issue in the Assembly, he wanted the police to take action against the accused by conducting a high-level inquiry and recover Rs 24 crore by arresting the accused.

He demanded that the government take steps to store water by constructing either rubber or coffer dams since thousands of acres in Peddapalli and Huzurabad constituencies depend on check dams.

On the state government’s decision to take water to Hyderabad from Mallannasagar, he questioned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy as to who constructed Mallannasagar.

The previous BRS government led by the former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao constructed it as part of the Kaleshwaram project. Though there is a possibility to supply water to thousands of acres, the government is not undertaking the digging of canals.