Economic Survey Gives BRS a Boost Amid Kaleshwaram Controversy
The 2025-26 Economic Survey, tabled in Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has provided significant political ammunition to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana, even as the party faces intense scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. The survey highlights a remarkable 70% increase in Telangana's cultivable land over the past decade, attributing this growth largely to flagship irrigation initiatives launched during the BRS government's tenure under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).
Survey Findings: Irrigation Projects Drive Agricultural Expansion
According to the Economic Survey, Telangana's cultivated area expanded from 1.31 crore acres in 2014 to 2.2 crore acres by 2023-24. This substantial growth is credited to major projects including:
- The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project
- Mission Kakatiya (tank rejuvenation program)
The survey emphasizes that access to irrigation facilities, alignment of crops with natural resources, and adoption of climate-resilient seeds have been crucial for improving agricultural yields in the state. These findings come at a critical juncture for the BRS, which has been defending its legacy against multiple investigations into the Kaleshwaram project's implementation and structural integrity.
Contrasting Narratives: Development vs Irregularities
While the Economic Survey celebrates the irrigation projects' outcomes, the P C Ghose Commission has presented a contrasting picture. The commission, which investigated alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project, held KCR responsible for various execution flaws. Additionally, the commission identified several other officials for criticism, including:
- Former irrigation minister T Harish Rao
- Former finance minister Eatala Rajender
- Ex-chief secretary S K Joshi
- Then finance secretary K Ramakrishna Rao
- IAS officer Smita Sabharwal
The BRS has consistently dismissed these findings as politically motivated, with party leaders accusing the current Congress government under Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of targeting opposition voices through investigative commissions.
Structural Concerns and Political Fallout
The controversy deepened when the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) identified irreparable damage in three barrages of the Kaleshwaram project. The NDSA report cited multiple deficiencies including:
- Lack of proper geo-technical investigations
- Design and construction defects
- Failure of modelling studies
- Structural distress across barrages
- Absence of robust quality control
Specific issues were noted at the Medigadda barrage, which suffered severe settlement and cracking of piers, while the Annaram and Sundilla barrages exhibited similar patterns of seepage distress. The Revanth Reddy government made these findings public, intensifying pressure on the BRS leadership.
Political Reactions and Strategic Positioning
Following the Economic Survey's release, BRS leaders have seized upon its positive assessment to counter the ongoing investigations. Former minister Harish Rao declared on social media that the survey confirms the BRS initiated the best possible development in irrigation. BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) emphasized that the survey documents Telangana's Decade of Transformation under BRS rule as one of India's most successful state-led development stories.
KTR highlighted how Telangana transformed from a neglected region at statehood into India's food bowl, achieving record foodgrain production through expanded irrigation infrastructure. This narrative provides crucial support for KCR, who has faced multiple legal challenges since the Congress government assumed power in late 2023.
Broader Implications for Telangana Politics
The contrasting narratives between the Economic Survey's positive assessment and the investigative commissions' critical findings create a complex political landscape in Telangana. While the survey offers validation for the BRS's development agenda, the structural concerns and alleged irregularities continue to cast shadows over the party's governance record.
This situation exemplifies how development outcomes and implementation processes can generate conflicting political narratives, with each side selectively emphasizing aspects that support their position. The Kaleshwaram controversy has become a focal point in the ongoing political rivalry between the Congress government and the BRS opposition, with both parties using different institutional reports to bolster their claims about governance and development in Telangana.
