CM favours contractors: Jeevan

Senior Congress leader and MLC T. Jeevan Reddy on Wednesday underlined that there is no need for a third component to lift more water for the Kaleshwaram project.

Explaining his rationale at a press conference, he pointed out that a lifting capacity 450 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water is already available within Phase-1, whereas the state needs only 300 tmc ft, whether for cultivation, industries, drinking water or other purposes. This means additional an 150 tmc ft of water is already available for meeting the future requirements of the state.

Jeevan Reddy charged that the ruling party has already made `5,650 crore while establishing pump houses for Kaleshwaram project. He observed that the third lifting component is part of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s plan to collect huge commissions from contractors.

The senior Congress leader also objected to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy constructing the Pothireddypadu project for lifting 1 lakh cusecs of water from the Krishna basin, though it is against regulations stipulated by the Krishna River Management Board.

In this regard, the Congress leader pointed out that Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had written that the Pothireddypadu project was against the AP Reorganisation Act.

Jeevan Reddy wondered why BJP leaders in the state were not protesting against the project, even though it is against the interests of Telangana state.

Jeevan Reddy demanded that the BJP fight against the projects that Andhra Pradesh is building illegally. He also accused Chandrashekar Rao of not focusing on the theft of state’s waters by Andhra Pradesh and instead harping on the Kaleshwaram third water lifting project.

The Congress leader went on to allege that both AP and TS chief ministers are starting new irrigation projects in their respective states with the sole aim of collecting enormous commissions.