Centre yet to get request for Kaleshwaram funds KCR had said Centre not backing project
Ruling party says that the move is aimed at poll tie-up
The Centre on Monday said it had not received any proposal from the Telangana state government seeking financial assistance for the Kaleshwaram project.
Replying to Congress Rajya Sabha member Dr T. Subbarami Reddy, Union minister of state for water resources Arjun Ram Meghwal, said: “So far, no proposal for Central assistance for the
The project is expected to be completed by 2020-21. Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project in Telangana has been received by the Central Water Commission.”
This reply is in contrary what Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and TRS leaders have said.
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao and TRS leaders had accused the NDA government of not extending financial assistance for the Kaleshwaram project while supporting the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr Meghwal’s clarification showed that the state government had only submitted representations to the Centre but had failed to send an official proposal to pursue the case with the Centre.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee has become like a Congress JAC because most of the leaders who attended the meeting were from that party. They do not want government to complete Kaleshwaram project and provide irrigation facility for one crore acres of land and help farmers — KARNE PRABHAKAR, TRS MLC
TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar on Monday said the Congress leaders in Telangana, with an aim to please the TD leadership and have a poll tie-up, have been trying to obstruct the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.
At a media interaction held in the city, Mr Prabhakar referred to a round table meeting organised to discuss on pros and cons of Kaleshwaram project on Sunday and said, “The Telangana joint action committee (TJAC) has become like a Congress JAC because most of the leaders who attended the meeting were from that party. They do not want government to complete Kaleshwaram project and provide irrigation facility for one crore acres of land and help farmers.”
“Mr Sarvey Satyanarayana has already issued a statement that the Congress and the TD would join hands for the 2019 elections. The Congress leaders are working as agents of the TD government in AP. The raising the issue of special status to AP and opposition to Kaleshwaram are part of this larger conspiracy against Telangana,” he alleged.
Mr Prabhakar rejected the allegations by Congress and TJAC leaders that the TRS government deliberately inflated the estimates of Kaleshwaram project by redesigning Pranahitha Chevella project to get commissions from contractors.
“Redesigning of projects is nothing new. It was done by previous governments also to meet changing needs. The Pranahitha projects was aimed at irrigating 16 lakh acres of farm land and the estimate was made at `38,600 crore in 2007. We have now redesigned this as Kaleshwaram project to irrigate 36 lakh acres by spending over `80,000 crore. The project estimates will definitely increase after 10 years and when irrigation target is made double. What is the big deal in this?” he questioned.