Harish Rao demands white paper on new irrigation area created under Congress regime

Reminds that even the Congress government's white paper in the Assembly acknowledged irrigation to 20 lakh acres through Kaleshwaram project

Hyderabad: Former Minister T Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for misleading the public and tarnishing the achievements of the previous BRS government in the irrigation sector. He dared Revanth Reddy to release a white paper on the new irrigation area created under the current Congress regime.

In a strong rebuttal to Revanth Reddy’s remarks at Jalasoudha on Wednesday, Harish Rao rebuked the Chief Minister’s contradictory claims on expenditure incurred, new ayacut created and other claims over Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme to mislead public. He reminded that even the Congress government’s white paper in the Assembly had acknowledged irrigation to 20 lakh acres (including new ayacut and stabilisation) through Kaleshwaram project.

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“Are you an engineer or irrigation expert to declare that Kaleshwaram project has collapsed and its useless?” the BRS MLA asked. He reminded that the NDSA (National Dam Safety Authority) rubbished the allegations of the Kaleshwaram project as useless expenditure. He questioned the Congress government’s negligence to complete the project.

Harish Rao also took strong objection to the Chief Minister’s silence on the fate of the collapsed SLBC tunnel, questioning the lack of updates or accountability. He said the Irrigation department under the Congress was in shambles, with key posts lying vacant. “It is not irrigation that has increased under Revanth Reddy’s rule, but it’s irritation,” he quipped.