Hyderabad: Minister Vakiti Srihari accused BRS leaders of misleading Palamuru residents through political campaigns over Krishna river water. He said the Congress Government had pursued permanent Palamuru water solutions through planned irrigation and drinking water projects.
Srihari said former ministers and former MLAs from the Palamuru district had recently visited the Gudur area in Karnataka. During the visit, they displayed placards carrying the slogan, “Water in Karnataka, barren lands in Telangana.”
However, the Minister described the campaign as a political attempt to mislead residents. He said the visit did not reflect a genuine concern for Palamuru farmers.
Srihari handled the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Youth Services and Sports portfolios. He said BRS had no moral right to speak about Krishna river water.
According to him, BRS leaders had claimed that the Telangana movement centred on water, funds and employment. Yet, they had not questioned dam construction in Karnataka during their nine-and-a-half-year rule.
He alleged that BRS leaders had remained silent when Karnataka built dams. Therefore, he accused them of shedding “crocodile tears” after losing power.
Palamuru water solutions include new river structures
Srihari said the previous BRS Government had completely neglected farmers under the Jurala project command area. He also faulted it for failing to develop long-term water storage plans.
The former Government had not considered barrage-cum-bridge projects across the Bhima and Krishna rivers, he said. Such structures could store water and support irrigation and drinking water needs.
In contrast, the Congress Government had taken a planned approach towards Palamuru water solutions, Srihari said. It had coordinated with the Karnataka Government on proposed projects across both rivers.
He said officials had prepared detailed project reports for barrage-cum-bridge structures on the Krishna and Bhima rivers. These reports covered the proposed works and their technical requirements.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had inspected the proposed locations by helicopter, according to the Minister. Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy had also joined the inspection.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Karnataka irrigation officials had participated in the exercise. Together, the representatives had reviewed the proposed sites and assessed technical feasibility.
After the inspection, the governments had prepared an action plan for the projects, Srihari said. He presented the coordination as part of the Congress Government’s effort to find permanent solutions.
The Minister maintained that Palamuru water solutions required cooperation between Telangana and Karnataka. He said political demonstrations could not replace technical planning or inter-State coordination.
Palamuru water solutions focus on Jurala villages
Srihari also accused the previous Government of neglecting villages affected by the Jurala project. He named Bhoothpur, Nedugam, Anugonda, Ankenpally and Dadampally among the affected settlements.
According to him, the BRS Government had ignored problems faced by residents in these villages for nearly a decade. It had also failed to release adequate funds for their needs.
The Minister said the Congress Government had now focused on the development of the affected villages. It had also examined rehabilitation requirements and the proposed expansion of the Bhoothpur dam.
He said these issues formed part of the Government’s broader approach to Palamuru water solutions. The administration aimed to address irrigation, drinking water, rehabilitation and village development together.
Meanwhile, Srihari criticised former public representatives for displaying placards while the Government worked on long-term projects. He said residents would not accept political campaigns that ignored earlier failures.
Farmers and young people were closely observing these developments, he added. Therefore, he urged former representatives to stop spreading false claims and misleading the public.
Srihari said the Congress Government had worked sincerely for the future of Palamuru residents. He reiterated that permanent resolution of the region’s water problems remained its central objective.
He also asked BRS leaders to stop what he called deceptive politics. According to him, their current campaign failed to explain their silence during the previous administration.
“Even if you cannot do good, at least do not cause harm,” Srihari said. “Stop politics that deceive people.”
He added that the Government remained committed to protecting the interests of Palamuru farmers. Moreover, it would continue work on irrigation, drinking water and rehabilitation measures.
The Minister said Palamuru water solutions would come through coordinated projects and sustained implementation. He rejected placard campaigns as an alternative to practical action.