K.T. Rama Rao questions cost escalation of Musi River Front project to ₹1.5 lakh crore

K.T. Rama Rao raises concerns over escalating costs of Musi River Front project, questions government's intentions and calculations.

HYDERABAD

Working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) K.T. Rama Rao has raised serious concerns about the Musi River Front beautification project proposed by the State Government, highlighting a spiralling increase in its estimated costs.

“Initially, the cost of the project was estimated at ₹50,000 crore, and it was revised later to ₹70,000 crore and now to a staggering ₹1.5 lakh crore,” Mr. Rao said in a statement on June 21. He stated that the previous BRS Government had already completed 100% sewerage treatment at a cost of ₹3,866 crore and planned the rejuvenation, beautification and development of the Musi River Front at an estimated cost of ₹16,634 crore.

The cost estimated by the previous government includes an expressway from Manchirevula (West) to Pratapa Singaram (Outer Ring Road East). The phenomenal cost escalation in the estimated cost of the project was raising doubts about the present government’s calculations and intentions.

He recollected how the Congress party had criticised the Kaleshwaram Project, which, he said, had transformed the fortunes of Telangana’s farmers and was completed at a cost of ₹80,000 crore. The proposed cost of ₹1.5 lakh crore expenditure for the Musi River beautification had sparked a debate and skepticism across the State.

The BRS leader sought to know from the government as to how many farmers would benefit from the Musi project, what was the storage capacity, how many acres would be irrigated, what would be the increase in crop yield, what industrial needs would be met and how many new reservoirs would be constructed.

He questioned Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s preference for the Musi project over the Palamuru-Rangareddy project, which is in its final stages. He also raised concerns about the strategy behind transforming Musi into a live river akin to London’s Thames, leaving other irrigation projects that could be completed with less budget and effort.