Irrigation minister assured the team that the state government would extend full cooperation in restoring the collapsed pillars of Medigadda.
Uttam Kumar Reddy. (X)
Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday, 6 March, gave a presentation on Medigadda, Aannaram and Sundilla barrages to the National Dam Safety Authority’s (NDSA) Expert Committee at Jala Soudha in Hyderabad.
The minister explained to the expert committee — led by its Chairman I Chandrasekhar Iyer — how the pillars of Medigadda sank on 21 October, 2023.
The team was in Hyderabad following the request of the state government to study the three barrages which are part of the multi-stage, multi-crore Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) and suggest how to plan their restoration.
Reddy assured the team that the state government would extend full cooperation to the committee in restoring the collapsed pillars of Medigadda.
He said that the government would await the committee’s report and assured that all suggestions would be followed to bring the Medigadda back into use. He said the committee has been given a four-month deadline to submit its report.
However, the state government requested an interim report as soon as possible to get cracking with restoration works.
“We will provide all kinds of support to the NDSA teams as it gets busy with its three-day visit to the barrages,” Reddy said.
He said he was expecting the NSDA to give reasons for the damage to the barrage and what steps should be taken before the arrival of the monsoon. The government would explore the possibilities of repairing the barrages, he said.
The minister said that the officials at all levels have been directed to provide all documents and information sought by the NDSA committee. He warned of strict action against those who do not comply with the orders.
The committee members will visit the Medigadda barrage on Thursday morning and subsequently the Annaram barrage. After a night halt at Ramagundam, it will visit the Sundilla Barrage on 8 March.
“The NDSA team has been requested to use the best technology available in the world for doing their inspection,” Reddy said.
Reddy said the government was contemplating taking action against the construction company if the NDSA committee identified any lapses on its part, noting that the company — Larsen & Toubro (L&T) — has had many businesses in the past with Telangana.
He said that the state government was moving ahead as per the law, adding that the construction company should be held accountable for the damages, and it must bear the cost of repairs.
The irrigation minister also announced that steps were being taken to initiate a judicial inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project.
Later, speaking to reporters, Reddy dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism that the Congress government had profited from the KLIS scam.
He asked why Modi and the Union government led by the BJP did not order any inquiry into the KLIS scam during the BRS regime and why it cleared the requests for a ₹1 lakh crore loan.
Reddy said it was ridiculous that the prime minister blamed the Congress for the corruption of the previous BRS dispensation.
“The BJP and the BRS remained allies for 10 years. The Congress ordered a Vigilance Equity into the Medigadda incident immediately after coming to power. However, the BJP maintained friendship and did not act against BRS leaders’ corruption for the last ten years,” he said
Reddy pointed out that the BJP was equally responsible for the scam in the Kaleshwaram project as its government at the Centre has facilitated loans worth thousands of crores rupees.
He said that Narendra Modi did not speak the truth during his visit to Telangana. He said that Modi was prime minister for the last 10 years, and he was laying the foundation stones for projects in Telangana only now.
“The UPA government had sanctioned the Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) for Telangana. However, Modi cancelled it after becoming the prime minister. The BJP government did not honour even one assurance listed in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014,” Reddy said.
Reddy also said that the BJP government did not fulfil any promises it made to people across the country in the last ten years.
He demanded to know whether or not the prime minister had promised to double the farmers’ income by 2022 and said that due to the skewed policies of the Centre, the entire agriculture sector has suffered.
“Thousands of farmers are staging a dharna near Delhi demanding MSP for their produce. The Prime Minister has been talking about the distribution of houses among the poor but the figures were fictitious,” Reddy said.
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