KTR slams Congress government’s Musi riverfront project

He pointed out that the estimated cost had escalated dramatically from Rs 50,000 crore initially, to Rs 70,000 crore, and now to a staggering Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has raised serious questions about the Congress government’s Musi riverfront beautification project, highlighting the wildly varying claims regarding its estimated cost. He pointed out that the estimated cost had escalated dramatically from Rs 50,000 crore initially, to Rs 70,000 crore, and now to a staggering Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

Rama Rao contrasted this with the Kaleshwaram project, which was implemented with Rs 80,000 crore and significantly transformed the agrarian profile of the State, benefiting the farming community. He noted that such a crucial project underwent rigorous scrutiny because of the Congress-sponsored debates from local to national levels.

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The Congress party has now proposed the Musi beautification project, setting aside earlier plans and inflating the estimated cost to Rs.1.5 lakh crore. Rama Rao questioned the practicality and benefits of the project, asking how many farmers would benefit from the project? What would be its gross storage capacity? How much area would be supported with irrigation benefits? How many acres would be coming under cultivation? What would be the yield of growing crops? What extent would it help meet the industrial needs and how many new reservoirs would be built as part of the project?

He also questioned the Chief Minister’s obsession with the Musi beautification project, especially when the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation project was in its final stages of completion. Rama Rao said the Congress was greedy, citing the varying cost estimates as proof. He warned that the people of the State were wary of plans to siphon off crores of rupees through backdoor methods before even starting the project works. Rama Rao also warned the Congress government that it would incur the ire of the people for its greed.