hyderabad
Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has stated that the government is committed to taking up the restoration of the Medigadda Barrage of Kaleshwaram project based on the recommendations of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) report, likely to come out in about a month’s time after its investigation to be taken up soon.
Criminal proceedings?
“Our government will repair the barrage and use it to give water to farmers. Criminal proceedings will be initiated against those found responsible for the failure of the structure based on the Vigilance and Enforcement inquiry report, which has already reached the us,” Mr. Reddy said during an interaction with the media here on Friday.
The Minister mentioned that as per the documents available with the Irrigation Department, the barrage was constructed by L&T itself as there was no mention of any sub-contractor anywhere. Following the failure of the structure, the government had stopped release of ₹400 crore pending bills to the agency.
He alleged that the BRS Government had lied about the availability of water at Tummidihetti as the Adviser to MoJS himself had clarified on Thursday that 160 tmc ft water was very much available at the barrage location but it was the BRS that had run a false propaganda. Had the BRS Government completed the barrage at Tummidihetti, the intended ayacut of 16 lakh acres would have got water for irrigation already.
Stating that the Centre too, had an equal role in the irregularities committed by the then BRS Government, Mr. Reddy said it was due to the Centre’s assurance the consortium of banks had come forward to lend the project.
On the allegation made by Sriram Vedire on Thursday, the Minister said the previous Congress Government had spent only ₹6,000 crore on Pranahita-Chevella project against ₹11,000 mentioned by the former.
The Minister said he would meet the NDSA and MoJS authorities on Saturday in Delhi and refuted Mr. Sriram’s allegation that Congress Government too had not shared the information required with NDSA after the preliminary investigation. Reiterating that it was due to the faulty design, planning and construction the Medigadda Barrage had become a failure, Mr. Uttam Reddy assured that the State Government would extend all cooperation and provide all documents available to NDSA team for the detailed investigation.
Mr. Uttam Reddy demanded that the BRS leaders including former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao apologise to the people of Telangana after their visit to Medigadda for the mistakes and irregularities committed by their regime. It was KCR and KTR who should pay for the damage caused to Medigadda. He also assured to take up maintenance works on Nagarjunasagar Dam once the CRPF personnel were withdrawn.
