The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed doubts about the Congress government’s intention to go to the root of the alleged corruption in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), built by the previous BRS government, since it is yet to order a probe or take action against any official responsible for the design, planning, execution and maintenance.
“The government has said that an all party delegation will be taken to the dam site and other works but only a group of ministers has visited the project making varying statements. The same officials who were behind the project planning and execution are now giving power point presentations, which the ministers are telling people. There seems to be an effort to cover up the flaws in the works,” charged Rajya Sabha MP and national OBC president K. Laxman.
Talking to the media at the party office on Saturday, Mr. Laxman warned that people of Telangana will not forgive the government if it committed the same folly as the BRS in trying to present a scenario as if the project flaws were not serious.
“Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy as the party chief has demanded a CBI probe and claimed to have evidence of large-scale corruption and wrong-doings in the project but is his government taking any action?,” he questioned.
The BJP leader claimed that there is a move to show that only a few piers of the Medigadda barrage had shrunk, when there are doubts in the minds of people about the entire set of barrages and works, which constitute the project. The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) had clearly mentioned in its report about the deficiencies in the design, planning, execution, quality control and maintenance of the project, including the fault cement-concrete blocks and launch girders.
“It had raised questions on 19 issues but the BRS government replied to 11 issues in a perfunctory manner as it did not want the truth to come out and escape responsibility. Why is the government reluctant to act on the deficiencies pointed out? Why is the agency responsible for maintenance for two years being allowed to go scot-free? Has public money become so cheap?” he sought to know.
More than ₹93,970 crore has been spent on the lift irrigation project of which about ₹71,560 crore has been the loan component with ₹64,820 crore yet to be paid. The power distribution companies have to be paid about ₹3,092 crore and so far 6,918 million units power has been utilised, he said.
Mr. Laxman said that the TS people had punished the BRS government for its various acts of omission and commission and the same fate awaits Congress government if it falters in taking action against those responsible for the project lapses. Hence, it should submit all the relevant information about the project with the NDSA for taking remedial action.
