Vinod Kumar slams Congress for false claims on Sammakka Barrage

BRS leader B Vinod Kumar criticised Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for taking credit over the Sammakka Barrage agreement with Chhattisgarh. He alleged that Congress governments delayed the project and demanded clarity on Tummidihatti talks and repairs to Medigadda

Hyderabad: Former MP B Vinod Kumar accused Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy of misleading people with false claims over the Sammakka Sarakka Barrage. He said the Minister was taking credit for the agreement with Chhattisgarh on the flooding of 50 acres as a historic breakthrough, while in reality it was a long-pending issue that had been deliberately stalled by Congress governments in the past.

“During the 2023 elections, Congress leaders in Telangana pressured the Congress government in Chhattisgarh to deny approvals. Today, the same leaders are boasting about an agreement,” he charged.

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Addressing a press meet at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Vinod Kumar stated that the Devadula project was conceived in 2001 with a cost of Rs 811 crore under then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. However, successive Congress governments failed to complete it despite spending over Rs 15,000 crore.

“It was KCR who corrected design flaws, built the Sammakka Barrage with 7 TMC capacity after Chhattisgarh objected to the Sammakka Sarakka Barrage and constructed 10 reservoirs to store water,” he said, adding that the Congress government should focus on completing pending reservoirs rather than publicity.

The BRS leader demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy clarify his talks with Maharashtra on the proposed barrage at Tummidihatti, insisting that no structure should be built below 152 metres. He also demanded immediate repairs to Medigadda after the monsoon ends to provide water to farmers.