Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s claim of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project debt having been “cleared” was hotly contested by his former Cabinet colleague and now TS BJP’s election management committee chairman Eatala Rajender as “blatant lie” on Tuesday.
“Does KCR think Telangana people are fools to believe whatever he says? The more than ₹1 lakh crore project has been built with a 20-year loan and it will take next few generations to repay. Even if 155 tmc ft water has been lifted, it could have led to ₹600 crore revenue from agriculture, that’s all,” he maintained at a press conference at the party office.
The Huzurabad MLA claimed that the rise in the groundwater across TS was because of the copious rains received in the last few years due to the Almighty and “Kaleshwaram project had no role at all”. “Many an expert has pointed out that whether the power is utilised or not for the project, a fixed charge of ₹3,500 crore has to be paid. The project cost is much more than the agriculture benefit it derives, hence totally unviable,” he said.
