Harish Rao slams Congress leaders for claiming credit for Sitarama project

Ahead of the project inauguration on August 15 by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he said the Congress is misleading the public by claiming to have completed the project within just seven months.

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao launched a scathing attack on the Congress leaders for claiming credit for the Sitarama project, a major initiative in Telangana originally envisioned and executed under the BRS government. Ahead of the project inauguration on August 15 by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he said the Congress is misleading the public by claiming to have completed the project within just seven months.

“The Ministers are now sprinkling water on their heads, competing to take credit for the Sitarama project,” he remarked, pointing out that the Congress had filed multiple court cases to stop the project construction during its initial stages. However, the then BRS government overcame all obstacles to proceed with the project. “Today, the Congress is merely cutting ribbons, pretending they built it,” he added, branding the Congress leaders as “parasites” for taking credit for others’ work.

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Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan on Monday, Harish Rao went on to ridicule the Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, for his claim that the Congress government was providing water to 1.5 lakh acres with just Rs 75 crore. He argued that the Sitarama project, redesigned under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, was intended to irrigate vast areas in Khammam district, ensuring that every inch of land would benefit.

“Chandrashekhar Rao’s dream was to bring Godavari River water to Khammam and ensure two crops per year,” the BRS legislator said, pointing out that the BRS government had redesigned the project to increase the irrigated area from 3 lakh to 6.74 lakh acres and the water capacity from 27 to 67 TMC. He accused the Congress government of failing to secure even basic clearances for the project during its nine years in power from 2005 to 2014, when Bhatti Vikramarka was the Deputy Speaker.

Harish Rao recalled the BRS government’s achievements, including securing all necessary permissions from the Central Water Commission and inter-State approvals. He dismissed the Congress government’s attempts to claim credit, asserting that they were merely reaping the benefits of the groundwork done by the BRS.

He suggested that the Congress government should stop taking credit for the work done by the BRS and instead concentrate on improving the lives of the people in Telangana.