Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 6 (ANI): Congress MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy on Monday launched a sharp attack on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) over the Medigadda barrage issue, accusing him of playing politics over a matter concerning public safety.
The Congress leader alleged that former chief minister KCR was attempting to project himself as a champion of farmers’ issue in Telangana.
Speaking to ANI on KTR visiting Kannepalli pump house and demanding to release water, Reddy said, “The act of KCR is foolish and reckless. He does not have any concern for the lives of the people of Telangana. The calamity that may happen if something happens to the barrage is unimaginable. Political leaders should be responsible and act in a responsible manner in all matters. They should not do politics, especially on such sensitive issues.”
Referring to the condition of the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, the Congress MLA said there were serious structural concerns and cited the findings of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
“It is a fact that there is a problem with the Medigadda barrage. It has sunk by 3-4 meters, and the NDSA report has categorically said it is unsafe to fill it with water,” he said.
Alleging that KCR was trying to derive political mileage from the issue, Reddy said, “He is trying to divert politics and showcase himself as being for the farmers of Telangana, which he is not.”
The Congress leader asserted that the state government would not permit water storage in the barrage until it received clearance from the competent authorities.
“The government is very specific and clear on this issue. Unless the Centre or the technical authority says that the barrage can be filled, we are not going to fill it,” he added.
The remarks come amid the continuing political sparring between the ruling Congress and the BRS over the safety and future of the Medigadda barrage, a key component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, following concerns raised over its structural integrity.
The political temperature in Telangana escalated today as the Congress mounted a sharp offensive against both the BJP and the BRS and accused BJP MPs of failing to protect Telangana’s interests, while also alleging that the previous BRS government’s flagship Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project had become a symbol of financial mismanagement and administrative failure.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, amid the impending water crisis, BRS working president KT Rama Rao warned that the party would lay siege to the Kannepalli Pump House with “50,000 to 60,000 people” if the Telangana government continued to ignore the interests of farmers and failed to utilise the available Godavari waters.
Leading a BRS delegation to the Kannepalli Pump House in Bhupalpally district to inspect the alleged wastage of water, KTR accused the state government of failing to operate the pumping infrastructure to provide irrigation benefits to farmers. (ANI)
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