The Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project's Kannepalli pump house in Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli district.
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated his government’s commitment to investigate the deficiencies and faulty designs in Kaleshwaram project that have cost the State exchequer enormously and those found guilty would be punished.
Intervening in the short discussion on the White Paper on Finances in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, the Minister said that despite significant spending, borrowed at high interest the project has proved to be disastrous. After spending nearly ₹ 1 lakh crores it could only bring an additional ayacut of just above one lakh acres. Similarly, not a single additional acre was brought under cultivation after spending ₹25,000 crore on the Palamuru Rangareddy project and ₹7,500 crore for Sitaramasagar project.
Stating that the Medigadda barrage incident was criminal negligence, he said Irrigation department engineers were mum indicating that it was former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who had designed the project despite the lack of technical knowledge. Since the pillars caved in on October 21 he did not utter a single word reflecting his lack of responsibility.
He recalled how Block No 7 collapsed sinking about five feet on October 21 and there was no investigation. The L&T company claimed faulty design and lack of geological checks and said it went ahead with the design given by the then government. The cracks in the Annaram and Sundella barrages also need repairs, he said and criticised the ad hoc decisions of the previous government.
Earlier, Uttam Kumar Reddy intervened during BRS MLA Harish Rao’s speech to clarify the issue of meters for farm connections. He, as a member of the Parliamentary Panel on Energy, refuted claims of bill collection from farmers through the proposed meters, accusing BRS of misleading farmers on the matter.
Intervening in the discussion, the Minister also accused the previous government of causing substantial losses and plunging the Civil Supplies Corporation into a massive debt trap. The Corporation has accumulated debts exceeding ₹ 56,000 crore and incurred losses of over ₹11,000 crore due to the negligence of the previous government.
He emphasised that bad debts have burdened the corporation with an annual interest of over ₹3,000 crore. Approximately 95 lakh metric tonnes of paddy worth ₹22,000 crore, belonging to the corporation, lie with millers without adequate security or bank guarantees.
