Revanth may order inquiry into shifting of Palamuru source from Jurala to Srisailam

Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy has indicated that the state govt will order an inquiry into the shifting of the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS) source from Jurala to Srisailam by the BRS govt after a debate in the assembly in the next couple of days. The CM alleged that there was deep-rooted corruption in the shifting of the location of PRLIS, the increase in lifts and pumps, and the cost escalation of the project."There is a similarity between Kaleshwaram and Palamuru project shifting of source location. The Kaleshwaram source was shifted from Thummidihatti to Medigadda without cabinet approval, and it was found fault by the Justice PC Ghose commission, which said it was an individual decision. In the PRLIS project issue also, the project source was shifted from Jurala to Srisailam, without cabinet nod," Revanth Reddy said, while speaking at a PowerPoint presentation on PRLIS and Krishna water at Praja Bhavan on Thursday.
The CM said he would like to discuss the Palamuru project and Krishna water issues and order an investigation into for whose benefit the source was changed, who got commissions, and why there was an increase in estimates from 32,000 crore to 80,000 crore for the PRLIS project. With BRS having lost a series of elections in the past two years beginning with the assembly elections in 2023, K Chandrasekhar Rao was raking up the Telangana sentiment for his party's survival. KCR did not want to come to the assembly and discuss the issue, but wanted to hold public meetings as if the project was completed, he was finished politically, Revanth Reddy said. He said for the mistakes and injustice done to Telangana, "there was nothing wrong if KCR and Harish Rao were hanged or stoned to death like in some countries". "In our democratic country, we give an equal opportunity to present their arguments before punishing them. Our country gave it to terrorists like Kasab also," Revanth Reddy said. "I invite the leader of the opposition, K Chandrasekhar Rao, to come to the assembly and participate in the debate on PRLIS and Krishna water issues. I assure KCR that he will be treated with respect and will be given sufficient time to present his arguments," the CM said. If he did not want to come to the House, he could give his suggestions in the form of a letter, he added. Explaining in detail the PRLIS water allocation issues, he said Jurala was in Telangana, where it could draw 90 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water for 30 days without any problem. As of now, the AP govt was diverting 13.5 tmc ft of water daily from Srisailam to Rayalaseema and other projects, while Telangana was not in a position to draw 2.5 tmc ft of water from Srisailam. Moreover, the Srisailam backwater was the new source of water, a common project, and other states also had rights, Revanth Reddy said. If Telangana took up PRLIS from Jurala, the AP govt would not be in a position to utilise 13.5 tmc ft of water for its project illegally, he said."Even after conceiving the Palamuru project, the BRS govt did not submit the detailed project report (DPR) for seven years. But the estimates increased, the total number of pumps increased from 22 to 37, and the lifting of water was revised from three to five stages," he said. Stating that KCR signed a death warrant by signing an agreement for 299 tmc ft of water to Telangana and 512 tmc ft of water to AP at the Apex Council meeting held in 2020, he said both AP and Telangana CMs participated in the meeting. The BRS govt spent about 27,000 crore on PRLIS only to make payments to contractors by claiming it was a drinking water project. Criticising former irrigation minister Harish Rao, the CM said the BRS leaders were making arguments that the source for PRLIS was shifted from Jurala to Srisailam as only 9 tmc ft of water was available at Jurala and 300 tmc ft at Srisailam, which was absurd. He said the Telangana govt could utilise 90 tmc ft of water for 30 days, 3 tmc ft daily, without any problem. "Seeing the govt was ordering an inquiry and terms of reference (TOR) were being prepared, Harish sensed it and shifted focus to the Godavari link project Bankacherla and Nallamala Sagar," Revanth Reddy said.