Kaleshwaram fiasco: CM Reddy dubs KCR, Harish Rao 'economic terrorists'

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy lambasted BRS chief KCR over the Kaleshwaram project, branding him, KTR, and Harish Rao as 'economic terrorists' for swindling funds by inflating project costs. He challenged KCR to a debate on the 'fiasco'.

BRS Leaders Dubbed 'Economic Terrorists'

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticised BRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao for the entire 'Kaleshwaram fiasco', alleging that BRS leaders such as KCR, KT Rama Rao and Harish Rao were 'economic terrorists' by swindling crores of rupees through escalating the Kaleshwaram project estimates. Speaking at the PowerPoint presentation on irrigation projects at Praja Bhavan on Tuesday, the CM claimed that the previous KCR regime spent Rs 1.02 lakh crore on Kaleshwaram, but it was a disaster, according to a release from Telangana CMO, "Those who cause such destruction are called economic terrorists. KCR, KTR, and Harish are economic terrorists", he said.

CM Reddy Challenges KCR to Assembly Debate

CM Reddy challenged KCR to attend a special joint session of the Assembly and Legislative Council as the government is ready for a debate on Kaleshwaram. "We are ready to convene the Assembly session whenever KCR desires. We are prepared to hold a joint session for a comprehensive discussion on the project", said the CM, further demanding that KCR write a letter to the Speaker and finalise the date. He said that it was their responsibility to ensure the House runs smoothly without compromising the BRS leader's dignity. The people of Telangana should not be punished for the mistakes committed by KCR. The CM took strong exception to the BRS allegations that the Congress government was deliberately ignoring the Kaleshwaram project. The CM said that his government was utilising the Secretariat and Praja Bhavan built by KCR. "The schemes like Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, and Rythu Bharosa were also continued. Even though the people want the BRS leaders hanged for the mistakes committed by them, laws were not permitted", the Chief Minister said.

Responding to the BRS leaders' demand to hand over the damaged barrages in the Kaleshwaram to KCR to run efficiently, CM Revanth Reddy said that the government is ready to accept it, but the leaders should explain why the task should be entrusted to KCR, who he claimed was the main reason for the disaster of the project.

Kaleshwaram's Controversial Origins and Redesign

The Chief Minister charged KCR with constructing Kaleshwaram by abandoning the Pranahita Chevella project, the release noted. He said that during YSR's tenure, the Pranahita project was conceived to provide irrigation to 16.4 lakh acres. In May 2012, the then Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy entered into a preliminary agreement with his Maharashtra counterpart Prithviraj Chavan to construct the project with a height of 148 meters. Although the project began with an estimated cost of Rs 39,000 crore, Rs 6,150 crore had been spent by the time Telangana was formed. After the formation of Telangana, the KCR government spent Rs 5,523 crore on this project. The Chief Minister took a dig at KCR for changing the Chevella project design after a total of Rs 11,670 crore had already been spent. He further said that a committee was appointed on January 21, 2015, to study the redesign of the project. The committee stated that KCR's idea was flawed and submitted a report against the construction of a barrage at Medigadda. KCR sidelined the report and got a favourable report from the WAPCOS. The CM accused KCR of altering the project's location and name and inflating the cost estimates from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 81,000 crore. Finally, there was no increase in water availability or the ayacut (irrigated area), yet the cost estimates soared.

Poor Construction and Structural Failures

Had the planning, design, construction, and operational maintenance been executed with quality, the current situation would not have arisen, the CM said. CM Revanth Reddy blamed KCR for not constructing the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages with high-quality material. He claimed that no soil tests were conducted at the sites of the three barrages. "Like castles made of sand, KCR built these barrages on sand. Medigadda is the backbone of the Kaleshwaram project, but it collapsed," the CM charged. The CM brought to light the engineers' reports, mainly the damage to Medigadda within one year after the Kaleshwaram project was inaugurated on June 21, 2019. He highlighted that on May 18, 2020, the then-engineer BV Ramana Reddy wrote to the government recommending restoration work, claiming that the then BRS government failed to carry out repairs at the damaged Medigadda, according to Telangana CMO. He added that Kannepalli pump house was also submerged in 2022 due to the force of the Godavari floods and the poor quality of the wall construction. A case was also filed against the engineer when the project collapsed.

NDSA Findings Highlighted

CM Revanth Reddy highlighted the NDSA preliminary report during the BRS tenure, which stated that the barrage was damaged due to poor quality, lack of maintenance, and failure to adhere to regulations. Stating that the government was striving to salvage the project, which was built at a cost of one lakh crore rupees, the Chief Minister said the government was seeking experts' advice for restoration, according to a release.

CM Mocks BRS Claims of 'Foresight'

The CM mocked BRS Deputy Floor Leader Harish Rao's statement that KCR built the Kaleshwaram project with great foresight. "The project was constructed specifically to lift and pump floodwaters. How can we lift water without rain and the availability of water resources? How can water be lifted if there is no rain or water due to El Nino? BRS leaders are shifting the blame onto the government with political motives," said CM Reddy. The Chief Minister claimed that the BRS rule incurred debts amounting to Rs 8.21 lakh crore. The CM commended state irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy for presenting the facts behind the Kaleshwaram project failure before the people. (ANI)

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