Niranjan Reddy makes light of Bandi’s claim on RDS

Hyderabad: Making light of BJP State president Bandi Sanjay’s claims on supplying water from Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) in six months, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy challenged the BJP leader to prevail upon the neighbouring Karnataka in addressing the RDS issues. “Do Bandi Sanjay and BJP national vice president DK Aruna have the guts to […]

Hyderabad: Making light of BJP State president Bandi Sanjay’s claims on supplying water from Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) in six months, Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy challenged the BJP leader to prevail upon the neighbouring Karnataka in addressing the RDS issues. “Do Bandi Sanjay and BJP national vice president DK Aruna have the guts to convince Karnataka Government in releasing water for the tail end areas under RDS ayacut?”, the Agriculture Minister questioned.

The BJP leader should explain to the people in writing as to how the BJP Government would complete the RDS works in six months, the Minister demanded in a statement issued here on Friday. “Bandi Sanjay should explain about the works to be executed for releasing water from RDS and how funds will be sourced for taking up those works,” Niranjan Reddy said, adding that BJP State president should realize that he had become a laughing stock.

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RDS canal was an inter-State project was proposed by the Nizam Government and was constructed at Manvi, Raichur. It was started in 1946 and completed in 1956. The total ayacut of RDS was 93,379 acres. Krishna Water Tribunal 1 allocated 17.1 tmc water to RDS and the total length of RDS main canal is 142 kms. Of these, 42 kms was under Karnataka limits and the balance in Telangana. The main objective of the project was to supply drinking and irrigation water to Alampur constituency, the Minister explained.

“Karnataka had never released sufficient quantity of water through RDS. Under Alampur taluk, 15.9 tmc of water was required for irrigating to 87,500 acres. But till date, not even 20 acres got water in the ara,” Niranjan Reddy said. In 2003, TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao had conducted a padayatra in support RDS ayacut farmers. He had also written letters on the injustice being meted out to farmers in Alampur to all the MPs in united Andhra Pradesh, the Minister said. Following this, the united Andhra Pradesh Government constituted an expert committee on the issue and the committee had clearly said in its report that Telangana was not getting rightful share of water under RDS.

Till 2014, no measures were taken up to address the issue and TRS had staged protests on the ayacut to solve the issue, he said. After State formation, the Telangana Government released GO 429 and sanctioned Rs.780 crore for Tumilla project and completed it within 10 months. Under the Tumilla lift irrigation scheme, about 50,000 acres under RDS were being supplied the required water, he said.

“The promise made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao during Telangana agitation to supply water through RDS is being fulfilled through Tumilla lift irrigation scheme,” Niranjan Reddy said. The BJP State president lacked awareness and did not have basic knowledge about RDS. The RDS project was completed six decades ago and he says it would be completed in six months, the Minister ridiculed. Similarly, when water was being diverted to Handri-Neeva against the interests of Palamuru, DK Aruna performed pujas. Now, these leaders were making false claims of releasing water through RDS, he added.

In the united Andhra Pradesh, the acreage in erstwhile Palamuru was one lakh acres. After State formation, all the pending projects were completed and now the acreage increased to about 10 to 12 lakh acres in the erstwhile district, he pointed out.

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