BRS accuses Congress Govt of having a conspiracy motive behind delay in Medigadda rehab

BRS accuses Congress Government of delaying Medigadda Barrage restoration in Kaleshwaram project. The party leaders plan to visit the barrage on March 1.

hyderabad

The Opposition party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Congress Government in Telangana of having a criminal conspiracy motive behind the delay in taking up restoration work on the damaged Medigadda Barrage of Kaleshwaram project. BRS has requested it to rehabilitate the structure with experts’ advise to resume lifting of water to protect crops and prevent drinking water problem.

“They (Congress Government) deliberately want Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla Barrages of Kaleshwaram to suffer more damage during the coming monsoon by leaving the problems unattended as part of their plans to portray the project as a failure”, working president of BRS K.T. Rama Rao said at a press conference held in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

“We have said it in the Assembly and outside that the government had all the powers to institute inquiries of its choice into Medigadda damage and Kaleshwaram project and take action against whoever is found responsible. But, in the name of investigation, inquiries and reports it can’t victimise people and deny water to farmers whoever was getting it from Kaleshwaram for the last three years”, he said addressing a press conference along with other leaders of the party.

With visits, presentations and press conferences, the Congress Government explained their version (one side of the coin) on Kaleshwaram project, Mr. Rama Rao said. He added that now they were expected to take up restoration work as early as possible and give water to the new as well as existing ayacut by completing canals and distributaries instead of wasting time, since the weathermen had forecast an El Nino year for India.

He stated that there were innumerable examples of irrigation projects or barrages suffering damage including seepage, leakage and others, particularly in the new ones. Stating that the Government was a continuous process he said it was necessary for the incumbent to take up repairs needed, as the BRS Government did in case of Mid Manair Reservoir, to ensure the intended benefit to farmers and other sections of people.

On the cost benefit ratio and other aspects mentioned in the CAG report on the Kaleshwaram project, the former Minister said if that criteria was taken into consideration for every work taken up a government with social responsibility there will not be any government hospital, any IIT or IIM or any other institution that would engage in work for the larger good.