PRLI water allocation to Dindi, Mudiraj quota proposal trigger unrest in Telangana

The Telangana government's decision to allocate water from the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project (PRLI) to the Dindi project has sparked opposition in the Palamuru region even as leaders in Nalgonda have welcomed the move.

Hyderabad: The Congress government’s decision to allocate Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation (PRLI) water to the Dindi project and its proposal to include the Mudiraj community in the BC-A category have triggered unrest in Telangana.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s decision to allocate 0.6 tmcft of water from the PRLI scheme to Dindi has drawn objections from leaders in Palamuru, while leaders in Nalgonda have welcomed the move.

---

Farmers’ organisations, intellectuals and retired employees have already been staging protests against plans to divert PRLI water to the Dindi project. The Chief Minister’s decision has further intensified their opposition. Senior leaders from Palamuru and Nalgonda have also been engaged in a war of words. Legislative Council Chairman G Sukhender Reddy criticised Mahabubnagar MP DK Aruna for demanding the cancellation of the Dindi project.

Sukhender Reddy said the government’s primary objective is to protect the interests of farmers in both Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts. He described the Chief Minister’s decision as a significant step towards fulfilling the long-standing aspirations of people in the erstwhile Nalgonda district.

Meanwhile, leaders, farmers and intellectuals have demanded that water for the Dindi project be sourced from elsewhere. They fear that diverting PRLI water to Dindi could affect irrigation and drinking water supplies in the erstwhile Palamuru region.

The Chief Minister’s assurance to include the Mudiraj community in the BC-A category has also drawn strong objections from other communities in the category. The Mudiraj community currently falls under BC-D.

Last Thursday, the Chief Minister assured the community that a Cabinet sub-committee would be constituted to examine the proposal to move Mudiraj from BC-D to BC-A.

The BC-A category already comprises 68 other communities. Representatives of these communities have objected to the proposal, arguing that the Mudiraj community is already economically and politically empowered. They fear that its inclusion in BC-A would affect the reservation benefits available to the existing 68 communities.

The Kalelkar, Rohini and Anantharaman Commissions, along with various expert committees, spent years travelling across the State to study the occupations and living conditions of Backward Classes. Based on their reports, BCs were classified into four categories: A, B, C and D.

The proposal to include Mudiraj in BC-A would not be tolerated, a member of the Telangana Gangaputra Community Development Organisation said.

“BC-A comprises 68 castes, including service castes, occupational castes and nomadic tribes. Unlike the Mudiraj community, these castes have not progressed in economic, social, moral or political terms,” he argued.