Harish Rao slams Congress over its misinformation campaign against Kaleshwaram project

Former Minister and BRS leader, T Harish Rao refuted Congress claims that the Kaleshwaram project was a "white elephant" and a financial burden

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the Congress Government for its misinformation campaign against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, former Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader, T Harish Rao on Saturday alleged that both the Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy were attempting to discredit the project for political gains.

In a statement here on Saturday, he refuted Congress claims that the Kaleshwaram project was a “white elephant” and a financial burden and pointed out the contradiction in their stance as the Congress government continued to utilize the project’s reservoirs and pump houses. “How can they call it a failure while relying on its infrastructure?” Rao questioned.

---

Defending the project’s legacy, Rao highlighted that the Kaleshwaram project has irrigated over 20 lakh acres, a fact acknowledged in the Congress government’s own reports. He challenged the Congress to release a white paper detailing the irrigation benefits achieved under their rule. He said the Congress government had failed to complete any irrigation projects or provide water to farmers despite being in power for over a year.

On the original design of Pranahita-Chevella project, which the Kaleshwaram project replaced, he argued that the original plan was infeasible due to insufficient water availability at Tummidi Hatti. Citing reports from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Maharashtra government in support of his contention, he accused Congress of inflating the Pranahita project’s cost from Rs 17,875 crore to Rs 40,300 crore during its tenure without significant progress and misusing Rs 2,328 crore in mobilization advances.

The former minister further criticized the Congress government’s handling of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse, which claimed eight lives. Rao alleged negligence, stating that 100 days after the tragedy, the victims’ bodies remain untraced and the government failed to implement necessary safety measures before initiating construction.

He claimed that the Congress government was using the Judicial commission probing construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project only to target former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other BRS leaders, including himself. Calling for accountability, Rao urged the Congress to focus on governance rather than engaging in “political vendetta.” He reiterated the BRS’s commitment to defending the Kaleshwaram project, which he described as a lifeline for Telangana’s farmers.