Harish Rao accuses Congress of neglecting Kaleshwaram, Palamuru projects in Telangana

Hyderabad: Senior BRS leader and former Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday accused the Congress government of wilfully neglecting key irrigation projects built during the BRS tenure.

He accused the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led government of running a political campaign to discredit flagship initiatives such as Kaleshwaram and Palamuru–Rangareddy projects, at the cost of farmers’ interests and the State’s water security.

Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan, Harish Rao made a PowerPoint presentation on irrigation projects and alleged that the Congress government was driven by vendetta rather than concern for farmers and the State’s long-term water security.

Harish alleges neglect of Kaleshwaram and Palamuru projects

Harish Rao said the Congress government was systematically targeting projects built under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Referring to the Medigadda barrage, he said issues were limited to two pillars, but the government was portraying it as a failure of the entire Kaleshwaram project instead of undertaking timely repairs and utilising available infrastructure.

Harish Rao claimed that with an expenditure of just Rs 100–200 crore, water could be supplied to nearly five to six lakh acres, but alleged that no meaningful spending had been undertaken over the past two years.

He further stated that even without Medigadda, water could be lifted by operating the Kannepalli pump house directly from river flows, but this option was being ignored due to political hostility.

‘Irrigation expansion after statehood’

Highlighting the BRS government’s record, Harish Rao said that during the united Andhra Pradesh period from 1956 to 2014, irrigation potential in Telangana was limited to 42.77 lakh acres over nearly six decades.

“In contrast, after statehood, the BRS government created new irrigation facilities for 48.74 lakh acres in just nine-and-a-half years between 2014 and 2023,” he said, describing it as an unprecedented expansion that transformed agriculture in the State.

Harish claims Congress agreed to 66:34 water-sharing formula before bifurcation

Harish Rao alleged historic discrimination in Krishna River water allocations.

He said Telangana has about 68 per cent of the Krishna basin area but was allotted only 34 per cent (299 TMC) of water during the united state period, while Andhra Pradesh, with 32 per cent basin area, received 66 per cent (512 TMC).

He blamed the Congress government in 2013 for accepting the 66:34 water-sharing formula and claimed that the BRS government later fought the issue at the Apex Council and succeeded in getting the ratio annulled. He alleged that the present Congress government had once again agreed to the same 66:34 formula in 2024.

‘KCR fought for implementation of Section 3’

The former minister said KCR wrote 32 letters seeking the implementation of Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. He said the issue was pursued through representations to the Prime Minister, discussions in the first and second Apex Council meetings and eventually before the Supreme Court.

“It is because Section 3 was achieved that Telangana today can effectively argue its case before the tribunal,” Harish Rao said.

Project clearances and Palamuru-Rangareddy works

Explaining project approvals, Harish Rao said Kaleshwaram received faster statutory clearances due to assured net water availability of 968 TMC. He noted that without confirmed water allocations, projects cannot secure environmental or Central Water Commission clearances.

He said the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project was taken up despite the absence of initial allocations, with the State spending about Rs 27,000 crore from its own resources. He added that KCR was determined to secure 170 TMC of water for the project once Section 3 was implemented.

Harish Rao also alleged that the Congress government had deliberately stalled works, stating that completion of a small canal under Package-3 could have enabled storage of nearly 50 TMC of water.

‘Congress handed over Krishna projects to KRMB’

The BRS leader further alleged that the Congress government had handed over the Krishna projects to the Krishna River Management Board and failed to fully utilise Telangana’s rightful share of water. He also expressed concerns over what he termed a lack of transparency in decisions related to projects such as Godavari-Banakacherla.

Criticising Assembly proceedings, Harish Rao said the irrigation presentation made by the current government was riddled with inaccuracies and aimed at shifting blame onto the BRS through misleading narratives.

‘Facts, not politics’

Concluding his address, Harish Rao said his presentation was intended to place facts before the public rather than derive political mileage.

“Political positions are temporary, but the interests of the State and its people are permanent,” he said, reiterating that the BRS had consistently worked to secure Telangana’s water rights and build long-term irrigation infrastructure, while accusing the Congress of being responsible for repeated setbacks to the State’s irrigation interests.