In a sharp rebuttal to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister T Harish Rao has condemned their recent statements on the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation project and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Harish Rao labeled the CM's claims as filled with "TMCs of lies and cusecs of ignorance" during a media interaction in Hyderabad.
Strong Objection to KCR-Kasab Comparison
Harish Rao expressed strong indignation at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for drawing a parallel between BRS founder K Chandrasekhar Rao and convicted terrorist Ajmal Kasab during a recent assembly presentation. "On one hand, you claim you will maintain decorum in the assembly, and on the other, you compare the man who achieved Telangana to a terrorist," Rao stated.
He defended KCR's legacy, stating that the former chief minister united four crore people and risked his life for the state's formation. "Comparing him to Kasab shows your lack of culture and basic courtesy," Harish Rao asserted, highlighting the perceived disrespect in the comparison.
Countering Claims on Water Allocation and Project Management
The former minister systematically countered the chief minister's technical assertions on water resources. He termed as a "blatant lie" the claim that KCR had agreed to a 299 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) water share for Telangana.
Harish Rao provided a detailed chronology:
- Within 42 days of Telangana's formation in 2014, KCR wrote to the Centre demanding reallocation of the total 811 TMCs of Krishna river water.
- KCR demanded a 69% share for Telangana from the total.
- The BRS government wrote 28 letters seeking a 50:50 sharing ratio until the Brijesh Tribunal's final verdict.
- The issue was raised in two apex council meetings, with official minutes available as record.
He explained that the case was withdrawn from the Supreme Court because the Centre promised to refer the matter for reallocation under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, calling this nine-year struggle a victory for Telangana.
Harish Rao also challenged the CM's statement that all water flows only to the Jurala project, questioning if he was unaware of the Tungabhadra river. "Does he not know that 450 to 600 TMCs of water reach Srisailam through the Tungabhadra every year?" he asked.
Accusations of Mismanagement and Hurdle Creation
Turning to project execution, Harish Rao contrasted the management of the previous BRS government with the current Congress administration. He pointed out that the Congress government declared a crop holiday for 5.5 lakh acres under Jurala-based projects this year due to mismanagement. In contrast, he claimed the Srisailam-based Kalwakurthy project is successfully irrigating 2.8 lakh acres.
On the contentious Palamuru-Rangareddy project, Harish Rao made a significant accusation: "It was the Congress party that instigated cases in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the project." He claimed that despite hurdles, the BRS government secured seven permissions for the project. "In your two years in power, you secured a single permission and instead caused the Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be sent back. This is your competence," he charged.
The fiery response from the senior BRS leader sets the stage for a continued and heated political debate in the Telangana assembly, centering on irrigation projects, water rights, and political legacy.
