Lashing out at the TRS government for its laxity on part of expediting works pertaining to Rajoulibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS) of Mahabubnagar district, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said that Congress leaders’ delegation visit to Karanataka has resulted in positive developments.
Addressing a press conference, along with MLAs D.K. Aruna and A. Sampath Kumar, at Gandhi Bhavan here, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that with the active consideration of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after the Telangana Congress leaders’ representation, 1 TMC water was released for drinking water needs of the Mahabubnagar district.
He informed that a delegation led by him, along with other Congress leaders, visited Bengaluru on Tuesday and explained the immediate need for expediting works of RDS Package I & II on compassionate grounds. Reacting positively to the request, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Irrigation Minister M B Patil issued orders for both, taking up RDS works on war-footing basis and release of 1 TMC water from Narayanpur to Jurala.
The TPCC Chief strongly condemned Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao’s criticism on Congress leaders. “TRS Government wants to take credit for every project which was envisioned and started during the Congress regime. But it wants to blame the Congress for all failures by spreading lies. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao or Harish Rao completely neglected RDS for the last two years and did not release a single rupee. Despite being in opposition, the Congress leaders of Telangana made successful representation and resolved the issue. KCR and Harish Rao must come out from self-congratulatory mode,” he said.
He also accused TRS Government of surrendering the interest of Telangana before Maharashtra Government by reducing the height of Tummadi-Hatti Dam. He said Harish Rao has been staking tall claims only to suppress the fact that the State Government has caused long-term loss to the people of Telangana.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the RDS scheme was materialized during the previous Congress regime and funds were also sanctioned in the past. Karnataka Government has assured the Telangana Congress delegation that it would expedite the 6 inch jacketing works on the dam in order to strengthen it, he informed. Nearly 83,000 acre land of the Alampur Constituency in the district would be irrigated once the Package 1 and 2 of the RDS are completed, informed Uttam.
He said that despite severe opposition from the Rayalaseema TDP leaders in the past Congress government had moved forward firmly on RDS scheme and sanctioned nearly Rs 92 crores for it.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also accused the TRS Government of mortgaging the future of Telangana people by extensively taking loans from all agencies from across the country. He said, “TRS government is taking Rs 10,000 crore loan from LIC, Rs 10,000 from NABARD and Rs 20,000 crores from HUDCO. This amounts to mortgaging the future of people and burdening them with debt trap.”
Replying to the queries Uttam Kumar Reddy asked KCR as to why no action was taken with regard to expediting the works of RDS scheme so far. He said that TRS leaders were spreading lies only when a Congress delegation went to the neighboring state to resolve and hasten the irrigation project works meant for water supply to Mahabubnagr district.
Former minister D K Aruna on this occasion criticized irrigation minister Harish Rao and said that only congress can take credit for the works pertaining to RDS schemes since it was started and sanctioned during the Congress regime. She accused KCR of neglecting the south Telangana districts in every aspect. (INN)