Congress, BJP Conspiring To Defame KCR Over Irrigation Project: KTR

Telangana's Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) alleged that the Congress and BJP have conspired to defame former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) over the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

"Contractors protested today in front of the deputy chief minister's office alleging that they have to pay 30-40 per cent commission to get contracts," KTR said, suggesting that the ruling Congress was trying to divert attention away from the protests by putting the focus on alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram project.

His accusations come at a time his father KCR is facing the heat for the Kaleshwaram project.

KCR had appeared before the PC Ghose Commission, which is probing the alleged irregularities in planning, design, construction, quality control, operation and maintenance of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of the Kaleshwaram project. The Commission asked KCR who took the decision for redesigning and re-engineering of the barrages, also about changing the location, how much water should be stored and for how long.

He had told the inquiry panel that the overall decision to implement the project was taken by the political leadership, but all technical decisions were taken by engineers. Further, he had said decisions regarding the project were taken transparently by the Telangana Cabinet.

KCR's claims have been disputed by his former Cabinet colleague Tummala Nageswar Rao, who said all decisions on building the Kaleshwaram project were executive ones.

Interestingly, Mr Rao also contradicted and challenged the statements made by former BRS minister and now BJP MP Eatala Rajender. Mr Rajender had appeared before the Commission on June 6 and said all decisions regarding the Kaleshwaram project were taken by the cabinet and that a sub-committee had made recommendations on the project.

Mr Rajender is facing criticism from his colleagues in the BJP who are raising eyebrows on why he gave a clean chit to KCR. For years before his expulsion from the BRS, Eatala Rajender was known to be close to the KCR family.

Tummala Nageswar Rao has now written to the PC Ghose Committee that no decision regarding the Kaleshwaram project was taken in the cabinet and also that the sub-committee that was constituted under his leadership to examine pending irrigation projects, had neither discussed nor given recommendations on the Kaleshwaram project.

Earlier this week, KTR had said, "Let me remind you, no barrage or bridge got washed away, but only two pillars out of 300 have developed cracks. That apparently has become the largest issue on the planet and a commission has been ordered." Citing the examples of the Morbi bridge collapse, Polavaram project wall collapse, Srisailam tunnel collapse and similar incidents in Bihar, he had said the National Dam Safety Authority taken up probes only when it suits the BJP or the Congress.

The Kaleshwaram project is not one barrage - it has three barrages, 19 reservoirs, 21 pumping stations, hundreds of kilometres of tunnels and thousands of kilometres of gravity canals, KTR had said, adding everything is intact.

KTR added that current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is jealous of KCR's work and wants to show the project in a bad light.