Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has assured that the negotiations with the Andhra Pradesh government to secure 90 Thousand Million Cubic Feet (TMC) of assured Krishna water for Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) and 20 TMC for Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme will be completed within 6 months.
Answering a question raised by the media at the Karivena reservoir part of PRLIS in Bhootpur mandal on Friday, June 5, he supported his claim by saying that the Secretary of the Union Jal Shakti Ministry has informed the AP government that only after giving the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for PRLIS, the AP government could negotiate with the Telangana government regarding its ambition to construct the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP).
“Would the statement from the irrigation secretary have come without any efforts of the state government,” he asked, assuring that a good news on the negotiations will soon be revealed.
He reminded that it was former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) who had submitted in writing to the Centre that 299 TMC in the Krishna waters were enough for Telangana, while leaving the rest of 512 TMC to Andhra Pradesh, even while the Bachawat Tribunal award was pending.
To work with Karnataka government on bridges-cum-barrages
He also announced that discussions between the Telangana and Karnataka governments will also take place on the construction of bridges-cum-barrages on the inter-state river border between Karnataka and Telangana, which could result in the increase in the ground water levels.
“We will ensure that the operation of those barrages will be done by Telangana. Karnataka has built such barrages-cum-bridges, storing 100 TMC. We have a Congress government there, as well as here. With my close relations with the Karnataka chief minister, I’m going to take the negotiations forward,” Revanth Reddy stated, adding that the cost would be borne between the two states for the construction of the barrages-cum-bridges.
On PRLIS works, land acquisition
On PRLIS, he declared that by June 2027, all the head regulator, pump house, main canal and reservoir works till Udandapur reservoir will be completed.
He said one issue affecting the PRLIS was the land acquisition issues pending before the court pertaining to the canals and reservoirs.
“We are trying to address the land acquisition issue at Udandapur reservoir. Then we will have 4,000 acres more to acquire. Our first priority is to complete the land acquisition. Without that being done, the project can’t be delivered,” he noted.
Disputes BRS’ claim of 90 percent PRLIS works completed
Revanth Reddy also disputed the BRS leaders’ claim that 90 percent of the works for PRLIS were completed during the BRS government.
“The total cost of PRLIS estimated by them was Rs 55,000 crore. They had spent Rs 27,000 crore, which roughly comes to less than 50 percent. How can 90 percent of the works be completed with just 50 percent funds,” he sought to know.
Alleges corruption by BRS in PRLIS works
Revanth Reddy alleged that only the electro-mechanical works that had yielded commissions anywhere between 20 to 40 percent were taken up during the BRS government, and the land acquisition, which he said was key to the project’s completion, was left incomplete.
“Even former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy had approached the Supreme Court alleging corruption in the contracts for pumps and lifts in PRLIS during the BRS government. While what he was saying is right, he somehow later chose to join the BRS,” Revanth Reddy pointed out.
In addition to the land acquisition for Udandapur reservoir, Revanth Reddy said that orders have been given for land to be acquired for the KP Laxmidevipally reservoir, which is the last reservoir under the PRLIS, falling under Kondurg and Parigi of the undivided Rangareddy district.
“For Rs 1.81 lakh crore spent on the irrigation projects during the ten-year BRS government, the then government had repaid loans amounting to Rs 84,503 crore including the principal and interest payable. In 30 months of the Congress government we have spent Rs 52,121 crore to repay those loans. In addition to this, Congress government has spent Rs 22,000 crore on various irrigation projects across the state, including Rs 8,000 crore in Palamuru region,” Revanth Reddy disclosed.
Urging all sections to cooperate with the state government for land acquisition under PRLIS, Revanth Reddy said that there would be no use of being in power, if the state government couldn’t complete the projects.
Projects to be prioritised based on financial leverage
Also noting that the state government was also deliberating on the need to increase the storage capacity of Gudemdoddi reservoir built under the Jawahar Nettempady Lift Irrigation Scheme to 15 TMC, and also to build a new reservoir under phase 2 of Tummilla Lift Irigation Scheme; he said all such works will be prioritised based on the financial leverage of the state government.
He has assured that Nettempadu, Bhima, Koilsagar, Kalwakurthy, Dindi, Makthal-Narayanpet-Kodangal, and PRLIS projects will be completed by the Congresss government, ensuring irrigation of 26 lakh acres in the Palamuru, Nalgonda and Reangareddy regions.
Claiming that there has not been a single project conceptualised by KCR, Revanth Reddy said that the former only played with the names, locations and designs of the projects to fill his coffers.
It can be mentioned that the PRLIS comprises Narlapur reservoir (8.5 TMC), Yedhula reservoir (6.55 TMC), Vattem reservoir (16.74 TMC), Karivena reservoir (17.34 TMC), Udandapur reservoir (16.03 TMC, and KP Laxmidevipally reservoir (2.6 TMC).
The Laxmidevipally reservoir got the chief minister’s nod during the review meeting he held with irrigation officials and people’s representatives at Mrugavani Riverfront Resort in Somasila of Nagarkurnool district on Thursday evening.
During his two-day marathon tour of various pending irrigation projects in the Palamuru region comprising the five districts of the undivided Mahabubnagar district on Thursday and Friday, Revanth Reddy took stock of the progress of those projects and held separate meetings with the irrigation and revenue officials concerned.
Also ReadTelangana CM inspects irrigation projects in Palamuru region
Public meeting venue gets soaked in rain
On Friday, he visited the reservoirs under PRLIS. The chief minister was supposed to visit Udandapur village of Jadcherla mandal on Friday evening. However, sudden rain coupled with gusty winds wreaked havoc at the meeting. The rain which began at around 2 pm, caused the hoardings and flexis at the venue to collapse and get washed away. But the meeting took place as per the schedule.
Addressing the public meeting, Jadcherla MLA P J Anirudh Reddy announced that Rs 631 crore has been disbursed into the accounts of the land oustees under the Udandapur reservoir over the past one month, as part of the rehabilitation and resettlement package for 6 villages/hamlets.
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