KT Rama Rao accuses Congress of denying irrigation water to Telangana farmers

BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of worsening Telangana's agrarian crisis by refusing to utilise the Kaleshwaram project despite adequate Godavari water. He alleged political vendetta, highlighted farmers' distress and reaffirmed the BRS's commitment to hamali workers' welfare.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of aggravating Telangana’s emerging agrarian crisis by refusing to utilise the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS), despite the availability of Godavari River waters. He said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was prioritising political vendetta over farmers’ welfare and warned that the government’s approach was pushing both farmers and allied sectors into distress.

Addressing the 18th anniversary celebrations of the Hamali Union at Mallapur on Monday, Rama Rao said the Congress government was deliberately refusing to operate the Kannepalli pump house, even as nearly one lakh cusecs of Godavari water was flowing downstream. He reiterated that switching on just two pumps would help irrigate vast tracts of farmland across Telangana and alleviate the looming water crisis.

---

Referring to the BRS delegation’s recent visit to the Kannepalli pump house, he stated that the government was more interested in discrediting the Kaleshwaram project than ensuring irrigation. “If there is anger against us, file cases against us. But do not punish farmers by denying them water,” he said.

The BRS working president criticised the Revanth Reddy government for being reluctant to release irrigation water because it would subsequently have to supply fertilisers, procure crops and pay bonuses to farmers. He said this was resulting in standing crops drying up despite water being available in the Godavari.

Contrasting the Congress government with the previous BRS regime, Rama Rao said agricultural production, cultivated area and rural prosperity had expanded significantly under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao through large-scale irrigation initiatives. He argued that the prosperity of farmers had directly benefited hamalis, rice millers and other sections dependent on the agricultural economy.

Addressing hamali workers, he recalled that the previous BRS government increased loading and unloading charges from Rs 8 to Rs 26 per bag, which was a 250 per cent hike. He said the BRS also revised hamali rates every two years, unlike the earlier practice of revising them once every five years. He asserted that the BRS remained committed to addressing the welfare, health and livelihood concerns of hamali workers despite being in the Opposition. He assured them that every genuine issue would be taken up and resolved when the party returned to power.

Rubbishing the Congress allegations about the BRS’s political future, Rama Rao said public affection for the BRS remained intact despite its electoral setback. Calling upon party workers and hamali unions to remain united, he urged them to work towards bringing K Chandrashekhar Rao back as Chief Minister in the next Assembly elections.