CM criticizes the BRS govt's actions on the Pranahita Chevella project in Assembly

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy declared on Tuesday in the assembly that the State government would unveil a comprehensive White Paper on irrigation projects in the upcoming Assembly session.

Addressing the Assembly before the scheduled visit of Ministers and MLAs to the Medigadda barrage, Revanth Reddy revealed that Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy would present the White Paper containing detailed information on irrigation projects to the House. He added that the decision to organize the visit to the Medigadda barrage was aimed at enabling the representatives to grasp the project's status and its implications on the populace.

"People are unaware of the circumstances surrounding the Medigadda barrage. Even MLAs lack clarity on the situation. This visit will shed light on the realities behind the barrage damages," stated Revanth Reddy.

Highlighting the necessity to review the vigilance report regarding the barrage damage, the Chief Minister emphasized that his government had initiated a vigilance inquiry, resulting in a report submitted by the Vigilance and Enforcement Directorate. He stressed the importance of discussing this report in the assembly, citing the previous critique of the National Dam Safety Authority's inspection report by the BRS government.

"It is imperative for every member of the Legislature to understand the cause of the damage. The vigilance report warrants discussion in the Assembly," asserted the Chief Minister.

Encouraging BRS MLAs, particularly former Chief Minister and opposition leader K Chandrashekhar Rao, to participate in the Medigadda Barrage visit, Revanth Reddy suggested that Rao's involvement would facilitate a better understanding of the project, given his significant role in its construction. Furthermore, he urged Rao to elucidate the project's intricacies to the public, recalling how the Kaleshwaram project was hailed as a marvel during the BRS regime.

Touching upon the Pranahita Chevella project, Revanth Reddy criticized the BRS government for substantially altering the project design and inflating the cost estimates. He said, “Pranahita was renamed as Dr. BR Ambedkar as suggested by Venkataswamy.” But in the name of redesign, the BRS government had changed the project's name and design and increased people's expectations.

In response, Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu revealed that following reports from vigilance and dam safety officials highlighting flaws and irregularities in the Medigadda barrage construction, the government had decided to escort all MLAs to the barrage site.

BRS member T Harish Rao objected to the Chief Minister's discussion of off-agenda issues. However, Revanth Reddy affirmed that any topic could be discussed in the House with the Speaker's permission.