Hyderabad: Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Sunday instructed the irrigation department to compile all documentation related to the Palamuru-Rangareddy project, ahead of the Telangana Assembly session beginning Monday.
Chairing a key review meeting with Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials, the Chief Minister said the government must be ready to counter opposition claims in the House with comprehensive evidence. He also demanded a full status report on the project by the evening of January 1.
Revanth Reddy accused the previous BRS government of politicising the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme and misleading the public. “We must rebut their arguments in the Assembly with facts and clarity,” he told engineers and department heads, according to sources.
He noted that the BRS had earlier sought the Centre’s approval for 7.15 TMC of drinking water under the project in February 2023, while the current Congress government is pushing for utilisation of 90 TMC for both drinking and irrigation until the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal delivers its verdict.
CM reviews project shift from Jurala to Srisailam intake point
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also questioned the change in the project’s intake point from Jurala to Srisailam, asking officials to explain the rationale and impact on cost, water drawal, and interstate issues. He sought comparative data between the original DPR and the revised plan.
Revanth further asked for details on the initial estimates, irrigation coverage, and financial escalation since the project began. He demanded that all committee reports formed under the previous government be brought to light, especially those evaluating the shift from Jurala.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy briefed the meeting on the efforts made to secure the Centre’s approval for the project and reiterated that Telangana is sticking to its rightful share of 90 TMC. The Chief Minister pressed engineers to reveal all correspondence with the Centre, including delays in securing permits.
He also asked for a compiled account of all tribunal proceedings, including the Bachawat and Brijesh Kumar allocations totalling 1005 TMC, and Telangana’s 45 TMC claim from Polavaram diversion. Senior officials, including Rahul Bojja, Sheshadri, Anjan Kumar, and engineers from interstate water divisions, attended the meeting.