The stage is set for opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s (BRS) ‘Chalo Medigadda’ programme on Friday to counter what it calls misinformation campaign by the Congress government over Kaleshwaram project.
BRS MLAs, MLCs, MPs, former MLAs, MLCs and other leaders will leave for Medigadda from Telangana Bhavan, the party headquarters in Hyderabad.
The BRS team will visit Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and reservoirs. Party’s senior leader and former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, through a powerpoint presentation, will explain various features of the project and the benefits it accrued to the state.
‘Chalo Medigadda’ is to counter the recent visit to the barrage by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, ministers and Congress MLAs on February 13.
After the visit to the barrage, some of whose piers sank in October last year, the Congress government had claimed that the large-scale corruption in the Kaleshwaram project by the previous BRS government was exposed.
The Chief Minister had stated that the previous government spent Rs 94,000 crore to irrigate only 98,000 acre of land.
While announcing ‘Chalo Medigadda’, BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao said ministers can join with them in the programme to ascertain the facts.
The BRS leader declared that through this programme, they will explain how the Kaleshwaram project has benefited the people and will expose the ‘conspiracies’ of the Congress party.
KTR stated that though cracks have developed in 2-3 piers, the Congress is conspiring to demolish the entire project.
He mentioned that during the Congress rules, problems cropped in several irrigation projects like Kadam, Gundla Vagu, Musi project, Singur, Pulichintala and Prakasam barrage
There are engineering solutions to carry out repairs to the damaged barrages. Repairs to the three piers can be undertaken by easily building a cofferdam.
“We demanded in the Assembly that while carrying out the repairs, take action against those responsible for the damage,” he said adding that BRS welcomes any probe into construction of the project
The BRS leader said the Congress government should not play with the lives of farmers by delaying the repairs just to malign the previous government
KTR alleged that by not undertaking the repairs, Congress is conspiring to see that the three barrages (Medigadda, Annaram, Sunkilla) are washed away in the coming rainy season.
Meanwhile, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has demanded that BRS President and former chief minister K. Chandraskhar Rao should personally visit the Kaleshwaram project to witness the disaster he caused to Telangana and apologise to the people instead of delegating the task to other BRS leaders.
He remarked that it was extremely foolish and arrogant for BRS leaders to talk about giving a ‘Chalo Medigadda’ call. “From our government’s side, we’ve instructed the officials to extend full cooperation to the BRS leaders and let them inspect Medigadda and other barrages. But whatever the government has to do, it will do,” he said, emphasising that the BRS party’s call was nothing but a political gimmick.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy insisted that, ideally, KCR should visit the Kaleshwaram project himself and apologise to Telangana. “KCR was not only the Chief Minister but also the Irrigation Minister. He acted as the Chief Designer, Chief Planner, and Chief Architect of the project. Therefore, KCR should visit Kaleshwaram and tender an apology, not others who know nothing about it,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy reminded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had invited KCR to the Assembly to speak on the Kaleshwaram project and explain the fiasco and fraud that occurred in the name of irrigation. “We even offered to arrange a helicopter for KCR to visit Kaleshwaram, but he is not coming out,” he said.
Interestingly, he noted that leaders not directly involved in the projects were planning to go to Kaleshwaram. Even former minister KTR had stated that he was not in the loop regarding irrigation projects. “Someone who designed, planned, and did the engineering is not going. The visit of other leaders is only a political gimmick and drama,” he emphasised.
The irrigation minister said that the Director-General of the Vigilance Department briefed him about the status of the inquiry. He stated that the Vigilance report would be submitted soon. “Based on the Vigilance report, we will file cases against whoever is guilty of the act. We will go as per the law, and we will take legal opinion to proceed against all failures,” he announced.