Terming the main Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti’s (BRS) attitude on Medigadda barrage as “ridiculous”, Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has welcomed the Central Government’s decision to appoint a committee headed by former chairman of Central Water Commission (CWC) Chandrasekhar Iyer to inquire into the project.
The Congress Government has in fact sought the intervention of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) into the irrigation projects especially Kaleshwaram and its components and assured it will extend its full cooperation to the probe along submission of the evidence that is in its possession. “There should be speedy inquiry into Annaram, Sundilla and Medigadda barrages. The previous Government has committed serious mistakes in the execution of project works. It has mortgaged the interests of farmers in the lure of commissions,” the Minister said.
In an informal interaction with media here on Friday, the Minister said the Government was hopeful of the committee submitting its report within a month. The Government would thereafter take up repairs and release water to farmers. The State Government was in receipt of the report of the Vigilance department on the components of Kaleshwaram project and action would initiated accordingly.
To a question, he said the L&T had executed the Medigadda project and the Government had stopped release of Rs. 400 crore pending payment to the company. He launched a scathing attack on the previous BRS Government claiming that it indulged in “false propaganda” that there were no sufficient water reserves at Tummidihatti.
The propaganda was made at a time when the Union Water Resources officials confirmed that there was availability of 160 tmcft at Tummadihatti. Water could be provided to over 16 lakh acres, if the then Government had taken the initiative to spend funds for project at Tummidihatti. “BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and working president K.T. Rama Rao should repay the loans taken for irrigation projects,” he said.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy faulted the Central Government for the fiasco claiming that the BRS Government could secure huge loans with the help of the Centre. “The State Government could not have raised loans to the tune of Rs. 1 lakh crore for the project without the help of the Central Government,” he said.
The Minister responded to the concern expressed by the Central Irrigation Advisor Vedire Sriram that Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects too were facing problems due to absence of maintenance works saying the Government was prepared to take up maintenance of Nagarjunasagar project. A request had already been made to the Centre to remove the CRPF forces posted on the project in this regard.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy reacted to Mr. Sriram’s claim that reports were not submitted to the Union Government. The Congress Government could not submit report on geological profile of the project as the previous BRS Government did not take steps in that direction. There were no quality control reports available and the Congress Government submitted the reports after preliminary assessment of the works. He said he would be visiting New Delhi on Saturday to meet experts and officials relating to Medigadda project.
