Vinod Kumar condemns Union Minister’s remarks on Kaleshwaram project

Former MP B Vinod Kumar criticised Union Minister CR Patil for remarks on the Kaleshwaram project, calling them misleading, and sought clarification in Parliament while raising concerns over amendments to the Reorganisation Act and Telangana’s pending demands.

Hyderabad: Former MP B Vinod Kumar on Wednesday criticised Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil for his remarks on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme in the Rajya Sabha, calling them misleading and inappropriate.

Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan, Vinod Kumar said the Union Minister’s claim that nearly Rs 1 lakh crore spent on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project had gone down the drain was uncalled for and not fit for his position. He pointed out that in Parliament earlier, the Union Minister himself had acknowledged that agricultural output in Telangana had doubled due to irrigation projects.

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Stating that the BRS MPs had formally written to the Centre seeking clarification on the Minister’s statement, the BRS leader demanded that Patil issue an explanation in Parliament. He reminded that despite repeated requests from the BRS, the Centre did not accord national project status to Kaleshwaram. Vinod Kumar also raised concerns over amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, alleging that its provisions were altered in violation of constitutional principles. He reiterated the demand for the merger of seven mandals transferred to Andhra Pradesh back into Telangana and called for an increase in the number of parliamentary constituencies in the State.

Alleging that the Centre was acting under external political influence, he said the interests of Telangana were being compromised and urged corrective measures to address pending issues related to the Reorganisation Act. “The Act has been amended to increase the number of MLCs in Andhra Pradesh. The Centre is catering to the interests of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, but ignoring Telangana’s requests,” he added.