Harish Rao tears into Congress govt over betrayal of Palamuru farmers

Senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of failing to protect Telangana’s water rights and neglecting farmers. He questioned the reduction in water allocation for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project and pressed for a longer Assembly session

Hyderabad: Senior BRS MLA and former Minister T Harish Rao called out the Congress government’s incompetence in protecting Telangana’s water rights and neglecting farmers’ needs. He accused Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy of double speak on seeking 45 TMCft for the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project and betraying Palamuru farmers.

Interacting with mediapersons on the Assembly premises after the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting here on Monday, Harish Rao said the Minister appeared to be under the bad influence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and hence was making misleading claims. He challenged Uttam Kumar Reddy to clarify whether the water allocation for the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project was reduced from 90 TMC to 45 TMC by the Congress government.

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The senior BRS legislator questioned why the Detailed Project Report (DPR), returned by the Centre a year ago, had not been resubmitted. He pointed out that while the BRS government secured seven key approvals from the Centre, the Congress government had failed to obtain even one in the last two years. He reminded that the previous BRS government completed projects which were kept pending during the earlier Congress government in undivided Andhra Pradesh and provided irrigation facilities to over 6.5 lakh acres.

Calling Congress leaders traitors of Palamuru, he accused Uttam Kumar Reddy of creating hurdles for the project earlier by moving the National Green Tribunal. However, he said the BRS got the cases vacated and completed 90 per cent of the works by spending Rs 27,000 crore. In the case of the SLBC tunnel as well, he pointed out that while the BRS cleared 11 km of the tunnel in 10 years, the Congress managed only 200 metres of tunnelling in two years.

Meanwhile, the BRS pressed at the BAC meeting for a minimum 15-day Assembly session, daily Question Hour, formation of House Committees and advance circulation of the agenda. The party also sought an opportunity to make its case if the government was allowed to make a presentation on river water issues in the House. Harish Rao said the Speaker agreed to convene the Assembly for one week and reconvene the BAC to decide further business and consider allowing presentations on river water issues.