Telangana Assembly session: Revanth Reddy accuses BRS of distorting facts

During a heated debate on the Justice PC Ghose Commission report in the Assembly, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy accused BRS leaders K. Chandrashekhar Rao and T. Harish Rao of inflating costs and misusing funds for the Kaleshwaram project. He also alleged suppression of expert reports and site changes done with ulterior motives.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday accused BRS MLA T Harish Rao of distorting facts on the Kaleshwaram project during the debate on the Justice PC Ghose Commission report. Alleging that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Harish Rao were responsible for the cost escalation of the project, he also accused them of misappropriation of funds borrowed for the construction of the project and change of the location of the project sites.

Participating in the debate on the Commission report in the Assembly, the Chief Minister alleged that Harish Rao was misleading the public with incomplete information. He claimed that the then union Minister Uma Bharti had said on October 24, 2014 that water was available in Pranahita Chevella and hydrology permissions were also being given.

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It was Harish Rao who wrote a letter again even after the Centre made it clear on the availability of 205 TMC of water, he said, adding that the then Congress government also accorded permission based on the availability of water in 2009.

Accusing the previous BRS government of suppressing records, he claimed that the report clearly mentioned on Page 98 that Harish Rao “committed mistakes”. Revanth Reddy also sought to know whether the BRS wanted a CBI or CID probe.

Claiming that the Maharashtra government never opposed the project at Tummidihatti and had only suggested reducing the height, he alleged that Chandrashekhar Rao “redesigned the project with the intention of being richer than the Nizam”. Accusing Chandrashekhar Rao and Harish Rao of ignoring a retired Engineers Committee report on Medigadda, he alleged that the former Chief Minister suppressed the report and shifted the barrage to Medigadda from Tummidihatti.