My name is Biksham Gujja, I hope I don’t need to introduce myself to you[1]. Recently you made several statements and TV interviews directly criticizing people who are asking for more information. I am not talking about the politics, here, you know well, I am not interested in those aspects as you too are not interested in such things. In India those things will go on. But what particularly disappointed me was your frontal attack on Prof. Kodandram with name (as you may know, he was arrested by GoT recently on the same issue). But I do appreciate your statement, that if some one comes to you for the information, you would provide it. As you know, I did ask that information earlier, though I do not want to go into that again now. So here I am asking for the information.
I am writing to you about this project. As advisor of to Government of Telangana, I presume, you are the key architect of this project and you know about it fully as technical person need to know. I choose to write this open email, for the benefit of many Telanganites. Otherwise, you do remember, several times, I had private conversations with you on irrigation matters. I did ask for the information on several projects, but received no credible documents.
Certainly irrigation is the key issue and Telangana need to use its fair share of water resources in sustainable way taking advantages of conceptual, technological and practical approaches in the water resources management for last two three decades. No one disputes that debate about the specific projects and how best and how fast projects be implemented for the benefit of people.
Without wasting much of your valuable time, I am asking the following questions and I do sincerely hope you will answer in the public forum so that people are clear.
1. Is there a Detailed Project Report as on 29th July 2016 with Government of Telangana?
2. Is it not mandatory for Government of Telangana to produce DPR?. For your ready reference I am giving web-link on Government of India guidelines for DPR (https://www.scribd.com/doc/
Answers to the following questions surely will be there in a proper DPR, but I will appreciate if you can provide your views to public, then that would immensely help in supporting the project and silencing the critics.
3. How GoT has come to the conclusion that the project should be located at the current site?
4. How GoT has computed the costs of this project as Rs.9,800 crores?
5. Can you clearly confirm that this project will be finished with this budget? Will it include, pumping stations, Pipes, canals, distribution etc?
6. Could you please tell the people of Telangana about the operational cost of bringing each TMC of water from Godavari to proposed site at Mallannasagar?
7. Can you confirm that this project will irrigate 12 lac ac of additional land in Telangana, if so can you tell us the areas where the irrigation will be provided.
8. Finally what is the BC ratio of this project?
9. By when this project will complete providing water for irrigation
For the record, I am neither in favor or opposing this specific project known as Mallannasagar. I do not have any information on this project to make that call. I am sure, you will agree with me, that having a detailed project report with proper information is the first step. I am sure you will agree with me, that project of this size and importance needs detailed planning, debate, discussion and suggestions from experts and public at large. I hope you will be able to facilitate that process in future
Pl. see my note earlier which is being circulated in some forums (http://www.siasat.com/news/
I do hope you will be able to anwer these questions in the greater interest of Telangana people. If you need any clarifications, do let me know.
With kind regards,
Biksham Gujja