Revanth Reddy goes vitriolic against KCR over Kaleshwaram, again

The Chief Minister also accused the previous government of failing to complete key irrigation projects, including Palamuru and Kalwakurthy in the Krishna basin.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy resumed his vitriolic criticism of former Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday, alleging that the Kaleshwaram project had turned out to be a monumental failure despite an expenditure of over Rs.1 lakh crore.

Addressing farmers at the ‘Rythu Nestham’ programme here, Revanth Reddy this time claimed that farmers had said that “there was nothing wrong in hanging” Chandrashekhar Rao in Kaleshwaram for the “collapse” of the Medigadda, Sundilla and Annaram barrages.

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He claimed that the original Pranahita–Chevella project was renamed and its locations shifted under the BRS regime, resulting in “substandard outcomes despite massive spending”.

The Chief Minister also accused the previous government of failing to complete key irrigation projects, including Palamuru and Kalwakurthy in the Krishna basin.

He charged that both Chandrashekhar Rao and former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao were now misleading the public by alleging that the Congress government was permitting Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to execute the Banakacherla project for drawing Godavari water.

“If I wanted to stay with Chandrababu Naidu, I would have done so. On the contrary, I joined the Congress to support Sonia Gandhi, leaving Naidu behind,” Revanth Reddy said.

He also challenged the BRS chief to a discussion on the Banakacherla project in the Assembly and urged him to write to the Speaker seeking a special session. He claimed that in 2016, the Andhra Pradesh government had issued orders for the project after KCR “approved diversion” of Godavari waters to Handri-Neeva in Rayalaseema.

“Let there be a debate — one day on Godavari projects and the next day on Krishna projects and rightful water shares,” he said.
Reiterating his earlier claim, Revanth Reddy also compared the State’s financial health to that of a cancer patient and accused Chandrashekhar Rao of leaving behind a debt burden of Rs. 8 lakh crore for the present government.