Telangana Chief Minister Revanth accuses KCR of resorting to blackmailing politics

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with his cabinet colleagues, MLAs and MLCs inspecting Lakshmi Barrage, where some pillars of the barrage sank raising questions about its future, at Ambatpally in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has alleged that BRS supremo and former chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao had organised a public meeting in Nalgonda over issues pertaining to handing over of the Krishna projects to the KRMB only to divert the ongoing discussion over the large-scale corruption in the execution of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS).

He also flayed KCR for not considering the call given by the State government to join him during his visit to the damaged piers of the Medigadda Barrage.

Addressing media persons after inspecting the damaged piers of the Medigadda Barrage here on Tuesday, he has once again demanded that BRS president KCR attend the Assembly session on Wednesday and take part in the debate over the whitepaper to be released over the irrigation projects taken up during the BRS regime.

The Chief Minister also sought clarification on the letter written by former secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) Smitha Sabharwal accepting to hand over the Krishna projects to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).  “You (KCR) and your party must make your stand clear on the corruption allegations concerning KLIP and handing over the Krishna projects to the KRMB. Mr. Chandrashekhar Rao should also come up with a clear stance on action to be taken against the L&T company that executed the project, and officials responsible for the large-scale irregularities in the project,” he said.

Mr. Reddy also alleged that KCR was resorting to blackmail politics to blame the Congress government with regard to Krishna projects. He also said that the government was committed to bringing out the corruption by writing a letter to the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), and added that the government would follow the suggestions of the NDSA for the future course of action on the repairs of the Medigadda.

Biggest ever scandal, says Uttam

Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the KCR government was involved in the biggest-ever scandal in the country post-independence.  Both of them made it clear that action would be taken against all those responsible. He assessed that Annaram and Sundilla barrages would also suffer the damages as there was water seepage. Ministers Sridhar Babu Duddila, Ponnam Prabhakar, Jupally Krishna Rao and other MLAs, MLCs from Congress, MIM and CPI were present.