Hyderabad: Refuting Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s criticism against the previous Congress governments with regard to irrigation projects during his presentation in the Assembly, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has alleged that the TRS government has taken up redesigning and renaming of the projects only to “loot thousands of crores of public money”.
Giving a power-point presentation on Irrigation projects at Ravi Narayana Reddy Auditorium here on Wednesday, TPCC Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the Chief Minister’s power point presentation was full of lies. Alleging that the Chief Minister came to power by making false assurances, Uttam said KCR was disturbing the irrigation system in the state.
AICC general secretary and Telangana State Congress party in-charge Digvijay Singh, AICC leader RC Kuntia, State Congress leaders, including MLAs, MLCs and CPI State secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, Justice Chandrakumar, Telangana Praja Front leader Vimalakka and several others participated in the power point presentation.
Addressing the gathering with power point presentation, Uttam made it clear that the Congress party was the party that prepared a plan for irrigation for one crore acres of land. “We are giving power point presentation only to present facts”, he stated. He said that the Congress party government has taken up 33 projects with one lakh crore estimated amount and was given water to 52 lakh acres.
Alleging that the Chief Minister was showing clear discrimination towards pending projects, TPCC Chief said that the Chief Minister was mortgaging the future of the Telangana by changing the design of Pranahitha project. The government was looting the public money in the name of irrigation water. The Chief Minister told cock and bull stories in the Assembly. KCR told lies stating that he will provide water to one crore acre. But the Chief Minister raised curtains to the looting Rs 1.5 lakh crore by calling tenders, he alleged.
He also alleged that the KCR government was contemplating to sell the Nizam heir lands and bringing debts indiscriminately. KCR changed the design of Pranahitha-Chevella project from Thammidihatti to Medigadda only for ‘commissions’ by escalating estimates of the project from Rs. 38,000 crore to Rs. 83,000 crore. KCR government failed to convince the Maharashtra government for 3000 acre, he alleged. “The government would have saved Rs. 50,000 crore in case it was purchased 3000 acre land from Maharashtra at Rs 1 crore per acre”, he said. The government was not in a position to place the detailed project report (DPR) in front of the people, he alleged making it clear that the Congress party will not keep quiet in case it acquires the lands from people forcefully. “This government’s slogan is ‘Contractors are Kings and Commissions are important’” he alleged.
Stating that when the Congress was in power the Ministers worked more responsibly, Uttam said that the Chief Minister himself was speaking true lies everyday. Before 1956, the irrigation land was 17 lakh acre, from 1956 to 2004 it was increased to 47 lakh acre and present ayacut in Telangana was 51 lakh acre. But the Chief Minister was saying that the present irrigated land in Telangana was only 19 lakhs, he said alleging that the Chief Minister was misguiding the people by speaking lies in the august Assembly house. He said that the Chief Minister was not releasing funds to complete the pending projects thinking that the Congress may get credit. If the government was sanctioned Rs.8,971crore, 29 lakh acre land will be irrigated, he said. He said that 283 TMC of water going to Bay of Bengal due to non completion of pending projects.
Alleging that the Kaleswaram-Pranahitha project was the biggest scam in the nation, Uttam said that the water will be given from Kaleswaram project was 144 TMCFTs and it will irrigate 16 lakh acre but the Chief Minister was saying that the project will irrigate 26 lakh acre. “How is it possible?”, he questioned. Stating about Palamuru-Rangareddy project, Uttam said that the government escalated the amount of the project from 35,200 crore to 47,990 crore to 50,990 crore and questioned as to whom’s money it was to escalate as KCR wished?
He said that the Telangana state would experience heavy loss due to non-competitive and non-global tender processes. What indicates of giving contracts to old contractors, he asked and said that the power expenditure to the KCR’s projects was Rs.14,880 crore and questioned as to how the projects were beneficiable if it spends this much of money only on power to lift the water. (NSS)
CM speaking lies; plans to loot thousands of crores from exchequer
