Telangana Congress President Demands Award for KTR's 'Lies' on Kaleshwaram Project
In a sharp political attack, Telangana Congress president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday sarcastically suggested that BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) deserves an award for allegedly spreading falsehoods about the Kaleshwaram irrigation project during a speech at Columbia Business School in New York. Goud's remarks came in response to KTR's claim that the Kaleshwaram project was designed to supply water to 45 lakh acres of agricultural land.
Congress Counters KTR's Irrigation Claims with Official Data
Goud dismissed KTR's statements as "tall claims," pointing to contradictory evidence from within the previous BRS government. He highlighted that Muralidhar, the engineer-in-chief appointed by the BRS administration, had publicly stated that only 86,000 acres actually received water through the Kaleshwaram project. This stark discrepancy, according to Goud, exposes the misleading nature of KTR's assertions made on an international platform.
Congress Government's Focus on Irrigation Revival and Farmer Welfare
Addressing party workers in Mahabubnagar district, Goud outlined the Congress government's proactive steps to address irrigation challenges. He emphasized that the current administration is not only undertaking repairs and revival efforts for the three barrages of the Kaleshwaram project but is also committed to completing other pending irrigation projects in a phased manner. Goud assured farmers that the Congress government aims to bring about a permanent transformation in their lives by ensuring reliable water access.
Palamuru-Rangareddy Project and Allegations of Central Neglect
Goud specifically mentioned the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS), promising that its completion would provide irrigation water to hundreds of thousands of acres, significantly boosting agricultural productivity in the region. However, he criticized the BJP-led central government for what he termed as "injustice" towards Telangana. Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's past assurance in a Mahabubnagar public meeting to grant national project status, Goud noted that neither PRLIS nor any other project in Telangana has received this designation to date.
Call to Action: Exposing Debt and Injustice
In his address, Goud urged Congress workers to actively engage with voters in both urban and rural areas. He called on them to highlight two key issues: the alleged Rs 8 lakh crore debt burden left by the previous BRS government and the ongoing neglect of Telangana's development needs by the Modi administration. This grassroots campaign, he argued, is essential to hold both state and central governments accountable for their promises and actions.
The political rhetoric underscores the intensifying debate over irrigation infrastructure and farmer welfare in Telangana, with the Congress positioning itself as a champion of transparency and progress against what it portrays as the failures of rival parties.
