Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Accuses KCR and Harish Rao of Severe River Water Injustice

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has accused former leaders K Chandrasekhar Rao and T Harish Rao of causing significant injustice in river water utilisation. He emphasised the need for accountability in irrigation projects during a presentation on water issues.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has accused the previous BRS government of causing more harm to Telangana's irrigation projects than during the undivided Andhra Pradesh era. He stated that it would not be unjust if former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his nephew T Harish Rao were punished severely for their role in the mismanagement of river waters.

The BRS party retaliated, claiming Reddy wished harm upon its leaders. During a PowerPoint presentation by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Revanth Reddy cited a quote from late Telangana poet Kaloji Narayana Rao: "We will kick out outsiders who exploit us, and we will bury alive those from our own region if they exploit us." He used this to highlight the injustice faced by Telangana under BRS rule.

River Water Disputes

Reddy alleged that Telangana suffered more under BRS in terms of Krishna and Godavari river water usage and fund allocation. He compared KCR and Harish Rao to former Andhra Pradesh CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who opposed Telangana's formation. "What Kaloji Narayana Rao said exactly applies to then CM KCR and Irrigation Minister Harish Rao," he asserted.

He further claimed that India is a democratic nation where even Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 terrorist, was executed only after a fair trial. "If Kasab had so many facilities, imagine how many KCR would have," he remarked, adding that they could afford any lawyer due to their wealth.

Assembly Session Invitation

Reddy invited KCR to participate in the ongoing Assembly session for discussions on river water issues and pending irrigation projects. He assured that the government would respect KCR's suggestions and treat him with due regard in the House. This invitation was perceived as a subtle jab at KCR for avoiding Assembly sessions since BRS lost power in 2023.

The CM accused KCR of delaying irrigation projects and spreading misinformation to safeguard his party. He claimed that the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation project's cost was inflated from over Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore to benefit contractors. "In order to save his party, KCR is spreading lies about water issues," Reddy said.

Project Cost Concerns

Reddy highlighted that the Kaleshwaram project's cost increased to Rs 1.40 lakh crore due to redesigning and relocating it to Medigadda. He noted that no Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared for the Palamuru-Rangareddy project before its commencement.

The BRS objected to appointing former Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Adityanath Das as an adviser on irrigation. The CM defended this decision by stating that Das had overseen Telangana's projects during undivided Andhra Pradesh.

BRS Criticism

KCR recently accused Reddy's government of failing to pressure the Union government after it returned the DPR of the Palamuru-Rangareddy project. The CM responded sharply, pointing out KCR's absence from the Assembly over the past two years.

Former BRS MLA S Niranjan Reddy criticised Revanth Reddy's comments, accusing him of inviting KCR to the Assembly while simultaneously wishing harm upon him and Harish Rao. He alleged that Congress had consistently harmed Telangana's interests.

With inputs from PTI